Arsenal are 'leading the race' to sign a player from Sporting CP for the second summer in a row, according to reports in Portugal.
The Gunners have a strong midfield but are being linked with reinforcements ahead of the transfer window. West Ham United's Mateus Fernandes has been reported as an option for Mikel Arteta with Christian Nørgaard linked with a potential exit.
The immediate focus for the North London outfit will of course be their final two Premier League games and the Champions League final with Paris Saint-Germain.
Two wins against Burnley and Crystal Palace will guarantee Arsenal their first domestic title since 2004 while even one win and one draw might just get them over the line if they have a better goal difference than Manchester City come the final day.
Winning the title will make the Gunners a more attractive landing spot for several targets this summer, with the work already being done behind the scenes to strengthen for the 2026-27 campaign.
Arsenal leading the race for Morten Hjulmand
Morten Hjulmand of Sporting CP playing against Bayern Munich
According to Correio da Manhã, Arsenal and Premier League rivals Manchester United are leading the race to sign Sporting CP midfielder Morten Hjulmand.
The player has a release clause of £70m in his contract at the Portuguese club but the report claims that an agreement has been reached to allow the player to leave this summer for just £35m.
It is a significant reduction to his release clause and one that has peaked the interest of the Premier League.
The 26-year-old from Denmark has been with Sporting since 2023. He has played alongside Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres 88 times, prior to the Sweden international's move to North London.
Morten Hjulmand can take the pressure off Martin Zubimendi
Martin Zubimendi vs Athletic Club
Martin Zubimendi joined Arsenal last summer and started his Gunners career in fantastic form. However, in recent months his performances have dipped with a handful of mistakes creeping into his game.
The midfielder has been one of the hardest-working players in the Premier League this season. He has run a staggering 363.69km in 2,871 minutes of top-flight football.
Only five players have covered more ground than him with four of those doing so having played over 3,000 minutes.
Declan Rice has run 359.44km in 2,919 minutes, meaning the Arsenal star has covered slightly less ground in more minutes - further highlighting how much running Zubimendi has done for the Gunners.
Having an experienced operator like Hjulmand who can operate in place of Zubimendi could give Arteta that strength in depth he needs to allow Zubimendi more rest.
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