Manchester United are lining up a bid for Sporting captain Morten Hjulmand in case they miss out on first-choice midfield target Carlos Baleba.
United were thought to be near enough done in the transfer market after spending almost £200m on Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.
The Red Devils do not have the spending power of some of their Premier League rivals after missing out on Champions League football.
That meant United were expected to focus their attentions on outgoings up until the transfer deadline and offload as many members of Ruben Amorim’s bomb squad as possible.
However, it emerged last week that the Manchester giants had expressed interest in a stunning deal for Brighton midfielder Baleba.
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United’s midfield lacked energy and bite last season and Baleba is seen as an ideal addition to the Old Trafford squad following his impressive form on the south coast.
Manchester United remain interested in Baleba despite learning that Brighton will demand at least £100m to part ways with the Cameroon international.
The chances of a summer deal still appear relatively slim given the numbers involved and as a result United are looking at other options.
They have been repeatedly linked with a move for Amorim’s former Sporting captain Hjulmand since the manager’s appointment back in November.
According to The Sun, Manchester United will step up their interest in the Denmark international should they fail in their mission to sign Baleba and are preparing a £50m move.
Amorim pushed to sign Hjulmand from Lecce in 2023 and made him his captain as he emerged as a key player for his title-winning Sporting side.
Hjulmand’s leadership skills and ‘monster mentality’ impressed Amorim and the United boss is ready to sanction a move to secure a reunion in Manchester.
Hjulmand has a release clause worth £68m but it is claimed Sporting would be willing to sell for around £10m less that figure if achievable add-ons were agreed.
The 26-year-old scored in Sporting’s opening win over Casa Pia on Friday night.
Baleba remains United’s first-choice target for the time being but it remains to be seen if they are able to come up with a deal.
There is also the threat of a rival move from Manchester City, who have also expressed interest in signing the Seagulls star.
Discussing the speculation surrounding Baleba at a Brighton fans’ forum last week, club chairman Paul Barber said: ‘There’s always going to be interest in our players.
‘Manchester United have not been in touch with me. Speculation is speculation. Carlos is a fantastic talent.
‘We hope he’ll be here for years to come – but its subject to the dynamics of the football world, which isn’t always predictable.’
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