Sporting CP midfielder linked with Manchester City amid Hugo Viana insight on player | OneFootball

Manchester City continue to find themselves linked to one of the premier names currently operating within Sporting CP, in large part due to Hugo Viana’s connections with the Portuguese giants.

City’s midfield has undergone a significant reboot since January 2025, driven by the transition from Txiki Begiristain to new sporting director Hugo Viana – who took on the role after a successful spell in the same position at Sporting CP.

The overhaul began in the winter of 2025 with the high-potential acquisition of Nico González from FC Porto, joining Manchester City at a time when the club were continuing to battle the absence of Rodri due to his ACL injury.

Gonzalez’s signing was then followed by a blockbuster summer 2025 window that saw the arrival of Dutch international Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan for a reported £46 million and Rayan Cherki from Lyon for around £34 million.

Additionally, the club also secured Norwegian prodigy Sverre Nypan for £12.5 million, who spent a brief developmental loan at Middlesbrough before returning to the first-team squad in February 2026.

Who are Man City targeting in central midfield this summer?

But with a number of contractual situations dawning on the club ahead of the forthcoming summer, and other existing names under review such as Mateo Kovacic, there is a belief that further business will be conducted by Manchester City in the coming months.

According to a new report from A Bola, City are still weighing up a summer move for Sporting Club midfielder Morten Hjulmand, with Etihad Stadium sporting director Hugo Viana described as being a big advocate of the player.

Viana is responsible for originally securing Hjulmand’s signature at Sporting from Lecce, with the player’s contract in the Portugal including an €80 million release clause. However, it is claimed that Sporting have a gentleman’s agreement to sanction a sale for around €50 million.

With approaches already having been made for the player amid his top level performances for the club to date, it is claimed that there is an expectation inside Alvalade that their club captain will leave during the coming summer market.

Who else is attracting Man City interest in midfield?

Aside from Morten Hjulmand, City’s midfield shortlist for the summer of 2026 is likely to be headlined by Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, with recent reports describing the club as being the frontrunners for the Englishman’s signature.

There is also a belief in some quarters that Hugo Viana is plotting an ambitious double swoop by targeting Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali, while reports in Germany have suggested Bayern Munich’s Aleksandar Pavlović as a possible shortlist option.

Elsewhere in the English game however, Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba have admirers within Manchester City, although it remains to be seen whether Etihad bosses will deem it necessary to compete with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United for either name at a significant cost.

By the time the summer transfer market reopens, much will be dependant on the futures of numerous names within the Manchester City squad, including Mateo Kovacic and Nico Gonzalez – despite the Spaniard only recently joining, but seeing his game time restricted.