Arsenal weigh Hjulmand move as Bruno Guimaraes deal stalls

Arsenal are reportedly considering a move for Sporting Lisbon captain Morten Hjulmand as an alternative should their long-running pursuit of Bruno Guimaraes continue to stall. According to the Mirror, the Danish midfielder has emerged on the Gunners’ radar after Sporting rejected an approach from Atletico Madrid.

Hjulmand had previously been linked with a switch to Manchester United, but with Arsenal’s interest in Newcastle’s Guimaraes proving complicated, Mikel Arteta’s side are now said to view the 27-year-old as a genuine option to strengthen their midfield alongside Declan Rice.

Sporting hold firm on valuation

It had been reported that Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid were closing in on a deal for Hjulmand, but Sporting president Frederico Varandas has confirmed to Portuguese outlet O Jogo that any offer from the La Liga club has been turned down.

“We’re talking about hypothetical scenarios. Hjulmand is still a Sporting player. We received an offer from Atletico Madrid, which we rejected. It’s a long way from the value we want,” Varandas said.

“We have established a fair value, appropriate for his age, his position and the years he has spent at Sporting. Both the player and his agents know that value. Anything below it and the player stays.”

Reports elsewhere have suggested Hjulmand could be allowed to leave for around £43million, with his release clause said to sit at approximately £69million. Arsenal previously did business with Sporting a year ago when they won the race to sign Viktor Gyokeres, and there is a belief they could repeat that success.

A boyhood dream move

Hjulmand is understood to be keen to test himself in the Premier League, and a move to Arsenal in particular is said to hold personal significance for the midfielder. He reportedly has a tattoo of the club’s crest on his shoulder and grew up idolising former Gunners great Patrick Vieira.

Arsenal secured Martin Zubimendi as a midfield partner for Rice last year, with the Spaniard becoming a regular fixture as the club returned to the top of English football. Arteta may now look to add further competition given the uncertainty over Christian Norgaard’s future, while Myles Lewis-Skelly has recently pushed his way back into contention after switching into midfield.

Attacking targets also on the radar

Much of the recent transfer talk around Arsenal has focused on attacking reinforcements, with Arteta reportedly set to be backed financially as the club begin their first Premier League title defence since 2005.

Arsenal are said to have identified Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez as a priority target, though the former Manchester City forward is understood to favour a move to Barcelona. Bradley Barcola and Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers have also been mentioned as alternatives, with the England international reportedly top of the shortlist following an impressive campaign at Villa Park.

However, Aston Villa are reportedly demanding upwards of £130million for Rogers, reflecting a market for attacking talent that has been driven higher by big-money Premier League moves for players such as Sandro Tonali and Elliot Anderson.

Read more: Man Utd weigh up move for Chelsea’s Andrey Santos in midfield rebuild