Jose Mourinho has instructed Real Madrid to fend off competition from Manchester United and Arsenal to sign Sporting captain Morten Hjulmand this summer, according to reports in Spain.
Madrid are holding out until the end of the season to officially confirm Mourinho’s appointment as manager, with the Portuguese in line to return to the Bernabeu 13 years after his first stint came to an end.
It’s understood Mourinho has verbally agreed to a two-year contract in the Spanish capital after what has proven a desperately disappointing campaign for Los Blancos.
In addition to overseeing an upturn in results and performances on the pitch, it will be Mourinho’s responsibility to fix a broken dressing room which has descended into chaos and infighting in the final days of Alvaro Arbeloa’s temporary rule.
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With the club poised to finish trophyless for a second time in as many seasons, Madrid bosses are preparing to turn to the summer transfer market in a bid to help Mourinho close the gap on arch-rivals Barcelona.
According to Cadena COPE, Mourinho has already been involved in conversations with key decision-makers to discuss potential targets for the upcoming transfer window.
Sporting holding midfielder Hjulmand is said to have left a big impression on Mourinho during the latter’s eight-month spell in charge of Benfica – and the Special One has asked Madrid president Florentino Perez to sanction a deal.
It’s claimed that while Sporting are in no hurry to part with Hjulmand, an offer in the region of €50million (£43m) could be enough to land the 26-year-old Denmark international.
Manchester United and newly crowned Premier League champions Arsenal have also been credited with a strong interest in Hjulmand in recent weeks, with both clubs on the hunt for midfield reinforcements.
Hjulmand is believed to have came close to leaving Sporting last year, but stayed put when informed he would be allowed to leave for the right price this summer.
The report adds that as well as Hjulmand, Mourinho is keen for a former player to be added to his coaching staff – and Toni Kroos’ name has been mooted a possible candidate during discussions with the board.
With rumours swirling over Hjlulmand’s future, Sporting head coach Rui Borges has made no secret of the fact the club made be forced to sell top players this summer
‘Regarding the transfer market, it’s what happens every year. Some leave and others come in,’ Borges told reporters last week.
Hjulmand’s current contract in Lisbon runs through to June 2028.
Just last month, Mourinho joked that Hjulmand – Sporting’s skipper for the last two years – had only learned how to speak Portuguese in order to get on side with referees in Portugal.
‘He has only learned Portuguese to be able to communicate with the referee,’ the Benfica boss said.
In a true Mourinho style, he sarcastically added: ‘It’s something we have to think about in relation to the next foreign players who may come to Benfica.
‘Normally, when a player comes to a foreign country and wants to learn the language, we praise it in Portugal – and that was also something I was interested in when I worked abroad.
‘But usually the goal is to make it easier to adapt socially, do your job better, and improve relationships with your team-mates. Learning a language to be able to communicate better with the referees – that’s fantastic.
‘If a foreign player comes to Benfica, that will be our motivation to make him learn the language quickly. It’s a fantastic situation.’
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