Man Utd face Real Madrid competition for £43m Sporting midfielder as Mourinho makes first transfer demand

Manchester United could face significant competition from Real Madrid in their pursuit of Sporting captain Morten Hjulmand, with incoming Madrid boss Jose Mourinho reportedly asking the club to sign the midfielder.

According to Spanish broadcaster Cadena COPE, Mourinho has already been involved in conversations with key decision-makers at Madrid about summer targets, and has asked president Florentino Perez to sanction a deal for the 26-year-old Denmark international.

Hjulmand is said to have left a big impression on Mourinho during his eight-month spell in charge of Benfica, and an offer in the region of €50 million (£43 million) could be enough to land him.

Who else wants Hjulmand?

Both Manchester United and newly crowned Premier League champions Arsenal have been credited with a strong interest in recent weeks, with all three clubs looking for midfield reinforcements this summer.

Hjulmand is believed to have come close to leaving Sporting last year, but stayed put after being informed he would be allowed to leave for the right price this summer. His contract runs until June 2028.

What has Sporting's coach said?

Head coach Rui Borges has acknowledged the club may have to sell. "Regarding the transfer market, it's what happens every year," he told reporters last week. "Some leave and others come in."

What else is Mourinho planning?

Mourinho has verbally agreed a two-year deal to return to the Bernabeu, 13 years after his first stint ended. As well as fixing what has been described as a broken dressing room following the chaos of Alvaro Arbeloa's temporary reign, he is keen to recruit on the coaching staff.

Toni Kroos has been mooted as a possible addition to Mourinho's backroom team during discussions with the board.

Mourinho also had a typically mischievous take on Hjulmand while he was managing Benfica, joking that the Sporting captain had only learned Portuguese "to be able to communicate with the referee."

He added: "Normally, when a player comes to a foreign country and wants to learn the language, we praise it in Portugal. But usually the goal is to make it easier to adapt socially, do your job better, and improve relationships with your teammates. Learning a language to be able to communicate better with the referees, that's fantastic."