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Manchester United’s race against Arsenal for midfielder Morten Hjulmand may be further complicated as Manchester City looks to enter the fray.
Prior to signing Manuel Ugarte shortly before the summer transfer deadline, Man United were linked with several midfielders who could have potentially emerged as a viable central midfield partner for Kobbie Mainoo, particularly as Casemiro and Christian Eriksen appear to be entering the latter stages of their careers.
One of the commonly-mentioned candidates was Sporting Lisbon’s Hjulmand, who United considered making a move for at a time when the deal for Ugarte appeared to be dragging on.
While United ultimately decided against triggering Hjulmand’s release clause, their interest in the player appears to persist, according to the media.
According to CaughtOffside, however, United’s potential pursuit of Hjulmand could become increasingly challenging as Man City seems poised to enter the race.
“Sporting Lisbon midfielder Morten Hjulmand has emerged as a potential transfer target to fill the gap left by the injured Rodri in the Manchester City midfield, in what could end up being a blow to other suitors like Arsenal and Manchester United,” the report read.
“Hjulmand is now looking like being one of the main options considered by Man City as they look to make up for the blow of possibly losing star player Rodri for the rest of the season,” the article continued.
Outside of Man City, the report claimed that Arsenal and FC Barcelona are also targeting Hjumland, making it all the more difficult for United to pave a pathway to securing Hjulmand’s signature.
United’s waning chances of signing Hjulmand could prove to be a cause for concern as the team’s midfield options appear to be thinning.
While Mainoo remains a solid long-term option, as does newcomer Ugarte, there appear to be few other strong candidates for the core central midfield role.
Following a drop in form last season, Casemiro appeared to be resurging earlier this season, only for his performances to drop once again. Now, it appears as if the Brazilian could be headed for the exit door as soon as January, with Saudi Arabia emerging as a potential destination.
As for Eriksen, Erik ten Hag has placed increasing reliance on the Dane in recent times, regularly including him in his starting 11 this season. Although Eriksen has largely impressed with his creativity, slick passing, and goal against FC Twente, his fatigue has become increasingly evident, as was the case when his error led to a Twente equaliser.
Ultimately, when looking at their long-term future, United may need to look externally for another central midfielder. Still, with Man City and other contenders circling around Hjulmand, United will need to consider whether the Sporting star is worthy of a bumper deal as it may be the only way to fend off the many potential transfer rivals.
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