There is still some question about whether Liverpool will invest in a new holding six during the summer transfer season.
According to sources close to the club, a truly world-class defensive midfielder has yet to emerge on the market.
That’s not to imply that very sensible, if not world-class, alternatives don’t exist. Sporting Lisbon’s highly regarded Morten Hjulmand (24) might be an option, with Ben Jacobs stating on X (previously Twitter) that interested clubs would need to activate the Dane’s £67.5 million release clause.
The connections to the Lecce ‘monster’ (as detailed on X by journalist Zach Lowy) have acknowledged been tenuous.
HITC revealed a month ago that Arne Slot’s team had dispatched scouts to watch the midfielder (together with Goncalo Inacio and Viktor Gyokeres) in Portugal. Since then, there has been little speculation that Hjulmand is a genuine Liverpool transfer target.
Liverpool might have signed Hjulmand cheaply in 2023.
We have no doubt that interested parties would regret not signing the former Serie A star for £15.1 million. This price has now doubled thanks to Sporting’s release clause.
Of course, if Richard Hughes and the data department thought he had something to give this Liverpool squad, it’s little compared to his long-term value and services.
How does Hjulmand perform statistically?
The ex-Admira star is far from bad at possession. FBref ranks the Dane in the 78th percentile for pass completion, which is somewhat disappointing for a holding midfielder.
In a more faster league against a better caliber of opponent, Wataru Endo has managed to rank in the 84th percentile for pass completion.
Nonetheless, Hjulmand’s numbers are influenced by his overall forward-thinking. Sporting manager Ruben Amorim clearly hinted as much in his appraisal of the footballer in August last year (via sporting.pt): “He’s all we expected him to be, but he’ll need to grow a lot physically and get to know his teammates well. The way he always plays the ball forward benefits the team, which is quite essential.”
We loved Fabinho’s contribution to build-up throughout his Liverpool career, and we wouldn’t mind seeing another holding midfielder capable of contributing outside our third of the pitch.
