Atletico Madrid agree personal terms with Morten Hjulmand, amidst interest from Real Madrid, Arsenal and Manchester United.
According to Mundo Deportivo via Sport Witness, Manchester United and Arsenal have suffered a blow in their pursuit of Morten Hjulmand, as he has agreed personal terms with Atletico Madrid regarding a summer move to the Spanish capital.
With personal terms already settled, the Madrid-based giants are now gearing up to make a fresh approach to Sporting CP, after failing to strike a deal with them back in January.
Arsenal and Manchester United remain in contention, but the biggest threat could come from city rivals Real Madrid. According to Record via Sport Witness, Jose Mourinho wants Hjulmand at his disposal if he does end up joining Los Blancos after the presidential elections are done and Florentino Perez is re-elected.
The Danish midfielder has become aware of Mourinho’s interest and is believed to be honoured by it. If the team in white do make a move, things could get very complicated for Atletico Madrid, as well as other English clubs.
The Sporting CP skipper is considered one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe. He has a lot of experience under his belt, and his ability to control the tempo of games stands out.
Manchester United are looking at him as an ideal replacement for Casemiro, while Arsenal want to strengthen their midfield rotation by signing the 26-year-old. He will replace Christian Norgaard, who is likely to leave, at the North London club.
While both English clubs have been front-runners for weeks, as the player is keen on playing in England, Atletico Madrid are now in pole position with personal terms already agreed. The Madrid-based giants do not have an out-and-out defensive midfielder in their ranks, and with Koke in the final phase of his career, signing Hjulmand will make a lot of sense.
They did knock on Sporting’s door with an offer of around €25 million (£21m) in January, but it was nowhere close to what the Portuguese club were looking for. They reportedly have an informal agreement with the player that allows him to leave this summer for around €40-€50 million (£34m-£43m), despite him having an official release clause of €80 million (£69m).
Atletico are aware of it, and are expected to make an offer accordingly. While Simeone’s team are closing in on his signature, Real Madrid could spoil the party by making a late entry. They do seek more quality in the centre of the park, with Eduardo Camavinga‘s future uncertain.
Mourinho is a massive admirer, and if he does end up advocating for him, chances are that the team in white will enter the race. However, that’s unlikely to happen until the results of the Real Madrid presidential elections are out.
