The tremors of a frantic transfer window are still being felt at Manchester United, and the inner workings of their dealings have revealed that Carlos Baleba was far from the only option.
Man Utd were linked the most reliably with Carlos Baleba, a player for whom they ultimately left it too late to make a move, ending their chances of recruiting him.
United have taken a risk in the window and have ended it without signing a midfielder because Brighton were adamant that Baleba was not for sale.
As it turns out, he was far from the only concrete option, with Fabrizio Romano saying United held several meetings to stay informed about a midfielder appreciated by Ruben Amorim.
Nuno Santos celebrates with Sporting's Danish midfielder #42 Morten Hjulmand (L) after scoring during the Portuguese League football match between Sporting CP and GD Estoril Praia at the Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon, on January 5, 2024
Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP via Getty Images
Man Utd explored Morten Hjulmand transfer
The defensive midfield has been United’s Achilles heel, and who better to sort that position than someone who knows it inside out?
Morten Hjulmand made that No. 6 position his own in Amorim’s thrilling Sporting side, and Romano has revealed that there was a clear appetite for reunion at Old Trafford this summer.
United’s interest in Hjulmand has been long-standing, so Amorim being United’s head coach, only fanned the flames already present.
Romano, speaking on his YouTube channel, has claimed that United held ‘several meetings’ with Hjulmand and Sporting over the summer.
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They didn’t receive much encouragement, especially after Viktor Gyokeres was sold, and so the move didn’t go ahead, but the interest remains for a future transfer.
Romano said: “[Man Utd] had several meetings to understand the situation of Morten Hjulmand. It was never easy, but United were informed all summer about him.
“He’s well-known by Amorim, has different skills compared to, for example, Baleba. Very interesting midfielder for United.
“That option was never advanced because Sporting, after selling Gyokeres to Arsenal, didn’t want to sell another crucial piece.
“For the future, let’s see. He’s still a player appreciated by Ruben Amorim. Let’s see what kind of situation he has at Sporting.”
Man Utd can sign both Carlos Baleba and Morten Hjulmand
A major advantage of not panic-buying a midfielder this summer is that United have saved up cash to engineer a complete revamp of their midfield next summer.
They spent £200m on a completely new forward line, and after closing deals worth more than £100m in sales, including loans whose obligation comes through next summer, they will be in a good position.
The forward line doesn’t need fixing anymore, and if Senne Lammens works out, neither will the goalkeeper.
That leaves the centre of defence, where a backup option will be more than enough, and the midfield, where the bulk of investment will go.
In an ideal world, United will be in a position to sign both Hjulmand and Baleba for about £180m combined, especially with Casemiro’s wages coming off the books, and a potential Bruno Fernandes transfer.
That would instantly be a title-challenging midfield fitting Ruben Amorim’s vision like a glove. The groundwork laid by the club this summer could launch fireworks next summer.