Sporting president Frederico Varandas has shed light on Morten Hjulmand’s future, with the midfielder having been heavily linked to a Premier League move –Manchester United in particular – in the past couple of months.
Speaking to thePortuguese press, the Sporting chief confirmed the captain had the chance to earn a far bigger salary elsewhere and was set to a Serie A move, but chose to stay in Lisbon instead.
Varandas said:“What I witnessed this season, once again, is that Morten looked certain to be heading to Italy and I have to give him a word because our captain refused several offers to earn three times more, and after a conversation with the board, Morten agreed to stay for another year. We kept Morten.”
Throughout the summer window, the Dane was repeatedly linked with England. Tottenham, Newcastle, Aston Villa and Arsenal were all mentioned, but Manchester United took the spotlight with genuine interest, battling Juventus in a racewe followed closely.
The president’s revelation suggests those sides could have been among the clubs putting forward the lucrative contracts.
For now, the 26-year-old remains a key figure at Sporting and is expected to continue as captain. What may happen in the future with Manchester United or others circling is still unclear, but Sporting have managed to hold on to their star midfielder for the time being.