Arsenal’s hopes of signing Morten Hjulmand have received a significant boost after Atletico Madrid had an offer rejected for the Sporting CP midfielder.
The 26-year-old Denmark international has been heavily linked with a Premier League move in recent months, with Arsenal emerging as a prominent potential destination.
Atletico Madrid were pushing hard to secure the midfielder’s services, but their approach was turned down, handing Arsenal renewed optimism in the transfer chase.
According to a report from Sport Witness, the failed Atletico bid will give Arsenal fresh hope of progressing with their own move for the player.
Hjulmand has impressed consistently for Sporting CP in Portugal and in the UEFA Champions League, demonstrating the quality needed to compete at the highest level.
Arsenal have a point of reference when it comes to recruiting from Sporting CP, having signed Viktor Gyokeres from the Lisbon club last summer.
The question now is whether they can follow up that successful deal by prising away the club captain in the same transfer window.
Hjulmand is understood to be a boyhood Arsenal fan, which could make the prospect of joining the Gunners an especially appealing one for the midfielder.
Sporting CP have already made their financial position clear, with Hjulmand carrying an €80 million release clause in his contract, meaning any deal will not come cheaply.
Arsenal are in the market for additional physicality and defensive cover in midfield, with Hjulmand potentially offering an upgrade on Christian Norgaard in that area of the pitch.
Norgaard, the former Brentford player, has not featured heavily since arriving at Arsenal and does not appear to be a central part of Mikel Arteta’s long-term plans.
The Sporting CP captain has the ability to protect a back four and control the tempo of a game, making him a potentially valuable addition to Arsenal’s squad.
Arsenal will need to continue strengthening their options if they are to compete consistently with Europe’s elite clubs across all competitions.
Whether they can negotiate a fee below the €80 million release clause or meet it outright remains to be seen as the transfer window progresses.
