From Portugal: Hugo Viana tracking Sporting Lisbon star as Man City battle with Arsenal | OneFootball

Manchester City remain in contention to sign Sporting CP captain Morten Hjulmand this summer, with director of football Hugo Viana understood to hold a deep admiration for the Danish midfielder, as per a new report from Portugal.

Hjulmand has been one of the most discussed midfield targets in the Premier League this summer, with his combination of defensive intelligence, passing range and leadership qualities drawing considerable attention from clubs across Europe’s top divisions.

The 27-year-old has served as Sporting‘s captain since establishing himself as one of the finest defensive midfielders in Portuguese football following his move from Lecce in 2023, a transfer overseen by none other than Hugo Viana during his time as the Lisbon club’s sporting director.

Report: Italy route narrows as Premier League interest firms

As reported by Portuguese outlet A Bola and relayed by Sport Witness, Hjulmand’s next club is most likely to be found in the Premier League rather than Serie A, despite the midfielder’s personal affinity for Italian football and a well-documented desire to return to the country at some point in his career.

The report outlines that while Juventus had made a serious push to sign Hjulmand last summer, a pursuit instrumental in establishing the agreed sell-on structure between the player and Sporting that would allow a departure for between €40-50 million, significantly below his official €80 million release clause.

Juventus’ interest has cooled considerably since then, with a change in transfer priorities and the departure of sporting director Damien Comolli among the factors behind the shift.

AC Milan, where former Sporting manager Ruben Amorim now operates, are also understood to have made no formal approach despite widespread speculation of a reunion, with Sporting’s asking price beyond Milan’s current budget and a defensive midfielder not considered a priority investment at that level of expenditure.

A Bola note that only Inter Milan and Napoli retain the financial power to pursue Hjulmand seriously within Italy, narrowing the Serie A route to a far smaller number of realistic outcomes than had been suggested earlier in the window.

What is the wider context for Man City’s interest in Hjulmand?

The City angle carries a layer of intrigue beyond pure recruitment logic. Viana was the architect of Hjulmand’s move to Sporting from Lecce and knows the player’s profile in considerable detail – an advantage that few other directors of football can claim when assessing the same target.

Arsenal‘s interest adds another dimension to the pursuit, with A Bola noting that a move to the Emirates Stadium would allow Hjulmand to fulfil what has long been understood as a personal ambition – the midfielder’s well-documented affinity for Arsenal having surfaced at various points throughout his career.

Whether that personal dimension translates into a concrete preference when negotiations develop in earnest remains to be seen, but with the Italian route narrowing and the Premier League firmly established as the most likely destination, Manchester City and Arsenal appear to be the two clubs best positioned to sign Hjulmand.