When Morten Hjulmand sealed his move to Sporting Lisbon in August, comparisons with those who had come before at the Portuguese giants were somewhat unavoidable.
Sporting have quite the track record when it comes to unearthing up-and-coming talent, after all, with a particular penchant for high-carat defensive midfield diamonds.
When Joao Palhinha left for Fulham, in came Manuel Ugarte to take his place in Ruben Amorim’s XI. And when Ugarte joined Paris Saint-Germain in a £52 million deal last summer, Morten Hjulmand was snapped up from Lecce a few weeks later.
And, for Amorim, the tough-tackling Denmark international offers the best of both worlds. The bone-crunching, ball-winning tenacity of Palhinha, coupled with the smooth, cultured distribution of Ugarte.
A ball-winner and a ball-player rolled into one. A distributor as well as a destroyer. A mix of Palhinha and Ugarte. Or, if you like, a mix of Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo.
Manchester United like Morten Hjulmand
“In difficult moments like the second half, (Hjulmand can give us) greater control of the game. He is a player who will bring us that security at certain moments to better control the games,” Amorim, who himself was linked with a move to Manchester United recently, told CNN.
“(Is he) more Palhinha or Ugarte? It’s a mix of both. We hope it stays that way, because they are two players who made an impact for Sporting.”
According to reports, Man United have sent scouts to watch Hjulmand on no fewer than six occasions since he arrived in the Portuguese capital. A close friend of fellow Dane Christian Eriksen, the Red Devils have offered to send Facundo Pellistri to Lisbon as part of a deal that would see Hjulmand move in the other direction, though Sporting have made it clear that the 24-year-old will not be going anywhere unless his £69 million release clause is triggered.
Best bits of Casemiro and Mainoo
Of course, if this proves anything, it’s that an elite-level sporting director cannot come soon enough at Old Trafford. Man United could have had Hjulmand for just £15 million a few months ago if they had cut out the middle man. In this case, Sporting Lisbon. Now, they would now have to stump up around five times more.
But with Casemiro potentially on the way out – amid doubts about whether how well the veteran Brazilian really fits Ten Hag’s system – a player who combines Casemiro’s tenacity with the passing range of a Mainoo may be the complete, all-round ‘number six’ United are looking for.
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/JQUnecY