Manchester City are set to see a key figure from Sporting CP join the club in the summer.
Specifically, the Portuguese club’s sporting director, Hugo Viana, is set to replace Txiki Begiristain at City at the end of the season.
This came after it was reported that Begiristain is set to step down from his role at City in the summer and bring an end to what will be a 13-year spell at the Etihad Stadium.
Now though, another current figure at Sporting has found himself being backed to make a possible move to City in the future.
- Man City summer transfer window 2024: Confirmed signings, departures, loan exits and releases
Denmark manager claims Morten Hjulmand could join Man City
In a recent interview with O Jogo, Denmark manager Brian Riemer gave this assessment of Sporting CP midfielder Morten Hjulmand and a potential future transfer move to the Premier League.
He said: “I spent two years in the Premier League and I think he has the necessary qualities to play for the six/seven best clubs in the English league.
“Tottenham, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City. At a certain point in his career, I believe he will arrive at one of these teams.
“His character, his leadership, his personality, his communication are not very common in today’s football, and I was at many clubs, in Copenhagen, Brentford, Anderlecht.
“It reminds us of the defensive midfielders of the past, who controlled the entire game, who led the teams, you don’t see that much nowadays.
“It’s something rare what Hjulmand has. I’m a big fan of his, I think we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg with Hjulmand.”
Hjulmand has been linked with a £69m move to Manchester United
The 25-year-old, who has a release clause worth £69m (via Manchester Evening News), was linked with a transfer move to United during the previous summer window.
Precisely, Football Transfers reported that United had Hjulmand as a potential alternative for Manuel Ugarte if they weren’t able to strike a deal for the Uruguayan.
Since joining Sporting back in the 2023 summer transfer window, the defensive-midfielder has made 60 appearances in total, scoring four goals and delivering five assists along the way.
With City set to take on Sporting in the Champions League on November 5, this could give the Blues a chance to take a look at Hjulmand and see if they feel he could be a potential transfer target in the future.
If that does end up being the case, Viana could well use his connections at the Portuguese club to help City land a deal for the Danish international and bring him to the Etihad Stadium.
