Manchester United put on a dominant show against Arsenal in their Premier League opener, yet succumbed to a 0-1 defeat at Old Trafford.The hosts were relentless both with and without the ball, and exc...
Manchester United put on a dominant show against Arsenal in their Premier League opener, yet succumbed to a 0-1 defeat at Old Trafford.
The hosts were relentless both with and without the ball, and except for a goalkeeping howler which handed the Gunners their solitary goal, the visitors hardly had any clear-cut chances.
It was telling that Ruben Amorim handed Casemiro a start alongside Bruno Fernandes, with Manuel Ugarte only emerging as a late substitute.
And the Uruguayan had a cameo to forget, and his struggles since his move to United last summer were laid bare as almost every touch of his ended up in a foul while his solitary shot went miles wide.
Midfielder needed
With age catching up with Casemiro, Amorim would have hoped for more from his former Sporting CP protege. But that has not proven to be the case.
And with INEOS’ pursuit of Carlos Baleba ending in failure, the co-owners are mulling over moving for an alternative for now.
Another of the head coach’s Sporting stars is on United’s radar — Morten Hjulmand. The Dane has become a pivotal star for the Portuguese giants since Amorim brought him to the club to replace Ugarte.
Last season, the 26-year-old ranked in the 96th percentile for passes completed, and in the 97th percentile for recoveries among his peers in the Portuguese league (via fotmob).
Morten Hjulmand of interest
Amorim knows all about him, and the 20-time English league champions have him on their potential list of targets. While there are concerns about his physicality and how he will manage in England, INEOS are prepared to take a risk.
However, Fabrizio Romano has suggested that it would be extremely difficult for the Red Devils to pull off the deal this summer.
Sporting have already lost Viktor Gyokeres, and they do not want to lose their skipper as well. As a result, they are expected to be extremely difficult to deal with, with an inflated price is likely to be demanded from INEOS.
“Manchester United can go for Morten Hjulmand, a midfielder from Sporting. Obviously, Ruben Amorim knows the player so well, he’s a player who’s always been appreciated by Amorim.
“But there are two points. First point, Sporting don’t want to sell other top players after losing Viktor Gyokeres this summer, so it would be a tough and difficult deal to do.
Difficult deal to pull off
“Second point, Manchester United, at the moment, have not started concrete talks, real talks, for Morten Hjulmand.
“They are informed about the situation because he is a player who’s always been in their list, one of the players they’ve been following for sure.”
Adam Wharton is another name on the club’s radar, and he too will be difficult to land. How INEOS manage this situation could make or break the season for United. Amorim certainly is desperate for midfield reinforcements.
Feature image Gualter Fatia via Getty Images
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Category: General Sports
