Manchester United are stepping up their pursuit of a new midfielder, having now entered pole position to sign a “sensational” Champions League star.
Fabrizio Romano drops update on Man Utd’s summer transfer plans
Signing a new midfielder appears to be high on the agenda at Man United this summer, with Atalanta star Ederson already reaching a contract agreement, but Fabrizio Romano has revealed he is far from the only target.
“Ederson is available. Manchester United are aware of that, but my understanding is that Manchester United are talking to his agents. I told you some time ago, conversations are active between Man United and the agents.
“Man United are aware of the price from Atlanta, €45m. This is the price tag. So there are contracts for Ederson, but it’s not the only one.
“Man United could sign two or three midfielders based on opportunities, based on exits, and more. And so the name of Ederson is going to be a really important one. But at the moment, not the only one. There are at least five or six midfielders under consideration at Manchester United.”
As alluded to by Romano, there could be some departures in central midfield this summer, with Manuel Ugarte potentially in line to follow Casemiro out the exit door, amid interest from Aston Villa.
As such, a whole host of targets have been identified in central midfield, including Sporting CP’s Morten Hjulmand, and there has now been a new update on United’s pursuit of the Dane.
Man Utd now frontrunners to sign Morten Hjulmand
According to a report from A Bola (via Sport Witness), Man United are now in pole position to sign Hjulmand, who recently struck an informal agreement to leave Sporting in the summer transfer window.
Despite the 26-year-old having a £69m release clause in his contract, the Portuguese side are prepared to listen to offers of around £34m – £43m, with a departure looking increasingly likely.
The 27-cap Denmark international is said to be similar in profile to Casemiro, who is set to leave United when his contract expires this summer.
Casemiro’s stats vs Hjulmand
The Brazilian has been one of Man United’s best performers in the Premier League this season, ranking second in the squad in terms of average FotMob match rating.
|
Ranking |
Man Utd’s top performers |
Average rating |
POTM awards |
|
1 |
Bruno Fernandes |
8.00 |
11 |
|
2 |
Casemiro |
7.36 |
3 |
|
3 |
Matheus Cunha |
7.25 |
0 |
|
4 |
Amad Diallo |
7.17 |
0 |
|
5 |
Bryan Mbeumo |
7.13 |
1 |
|
5 |
Patrick Dorgu |
7.13 |
0 |
The former Real Madrid man has displayed a keen eye for goal, finding the net on nine occasions, and an average of 3.2 tackles per 90 ranks him second in the squad.
Much like Casemiro, Hjulmand flourishes from a defensive point of view, averaging 2.3 tackles per 90 in the Liga Portugal, which is the third-highest number in Sporting’s squad.
The Dane was a key player for the Portuguese side in their Champions League campaign, making 10 appearances before they were eliminated by Arsenal in the quarter-final, and he has picked up two goals and six assists in all competitions.
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