Man United tipped to sign £69m Euros 2024 star Midfielder as possible Casemiro upgrade

Man United tipped to sign £69m Euros 2024 star Midfielder as possible Casemiro upgrade

When said about a midfield player who could replace the Brazilian at Manchester United, that is quite the accolade.

The highlight of Morten Hjulmand’s Euro 2024 campaign may have been his long-range wonder goal against England, which saw him clip Jordan Pickford’s post on the way in from almost thirty yards.

However, Paul Parker has identified a few other qualities that could make the Denmark dynamo the perfect addition to Erik ten Hag’s backroom.

Morten Hjulmand tipped for Manchester United move
“I think (his performances have) been crazy. I haven’t seen all the matches with him at Sporting (Lisbon), but I have seen some. And he has just completely dominated there,” Parker tells Spil X Sperten, Hjulmand leaving Lecce for the Portuguese capital in 2023.

“He became captain in Serie A at the age of 22. So that shows a boy with great leadership. These are exactly the leadership qualities that Manchester United could use.

“When I look at him, I see in many ways a younger version of Casemiro. Manchester United could really use that. He is solid on the ball, he is strong in the duels, and then he will go through fire and water for his team-mates.”

Hjulmand, brought in to replace Fulham enforcer Joao Palhinha at Sporting, was particularly impressive during Denmark’s opening 1-1 draw with Slovenia.

A defensive midfielder in Ten Hag’s team must be as comfortable on the ball as he is without it. And Hjulmand displayed the sort of composure in possession that Casemiro frequently lacks, piercing the lines and progressing the play with a series of short, sharp forward passes.

While Hjulmand’s Denmark team-mate Christian Eriksen still feels likely to leave Man United this summer – his contract expiring in 2025 – the aggression and discipline offered by the 25-year-old in that deep-lying role could free up Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo to wreak even more havoc in the final third.

“Eriksen gets a completely different freedom in the national team than he does in Manchester United, and you can see now that he is still a class player,” adds Parker, a two-time Premier League champion under Sir Alex Ferguson in the 1990s.

“I think that Hjulmand has been a big reason for releasing Eriksen, so that he can get further (up) the pitch for Denmark. He just hasn’t had the opportunity at Manchester United because they haven’t had any kind of balance.

“With a player like Hjulmand, who can dominate the midfield, he can have that freedom. I really hope that they sign him, and then Manchester United can get a Danish axis, which are players who always give 100 per cent.