Chelsea immediately gazump rivals with contract offer to £34m star after agreeing Man Utd deal
The Blues are attempting to hijack Atletico Madrid’s £34m deal as Xabi Alonso looks to bolster his midfield with Enzo Fernandez’s future uncertain
Xabi Alonso’s side have made a late push to sign Morten Hjulmand from Sporting CP(Image: Maciej Rogowski/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
Chelsea have made a late push to sign Sporting CP captain Morten Hjulmand as Xabi Alonso looks to strengthen his squad ahead of the 2026/27 Premier League season.
The Blues have already spent over £100m this summer, with Geovany Quenda and Marco Palestra arriving at Stamford Bridge among others.
After agreeing to sell midfielder Andrey Santos to Manchester United for £50m, Alonso’s side have quickly returned to the market in a bid to reinforce their midfield.
The Danish international Hjulmand, who has won 27 caps for his country, has impressed in the Primeira Liga and has caught the attention of many top European clubs.
Former Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim was keen to sign him for Manchester United during his spell at Old Trafford, while Manchester City and Arsenal have also been monitoring the Dane’s situation.
But Chelsea have now emerged as the Premier League side with the most concrete interest in the player, though the chances the Blues side secure the 27-year-old’s signature are not as promising as Alonso would like.
Reports from Spain claim that Atletico Madrid have agreed a fee of £34m for the Dane’s services, with talks between all parties having accelerated in recent hours.
There is optimism that the deal will be completed soon, despite Chelsea’s late push to hijack the deal.
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While the west Londoners have reportedly swooped in with a higher offer and a better contract proposal to secure Hjulmand’s services, Atletico Madrid is still considered to be the midfielder’s most likely destination, according to Cadena Ser.
Hjulmand has reportedly given his word to Atletico Madrid and is willing to forgo a significant portion of the salary he could have earned in England in order to join Diego Simeone’s side.
If the move goes through, it would represent the second time Chelsea have missed out on a midfield target this summer, following their failure to sign Granit Xhaka.
With Enzo Fernandez’s future in west London uncertain, Chelsea will no doubt return to the market for a midfielder if they fail to sign Hjulmand, which currently appears the most likely outcome.
