Ever since the opening weekend in the narrow 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, Manchester United have seemingly had an issue in their midfield ranks, with Erik ten Hag proving unable to settle on a consistent pairing for much of the campaign.

During an undoubtedly positive debut campaign at the helm last season, the Dutchman looked to the experienced duo of Christian Eriksen and Casemiro to steer the ship in the centre of the park, with the latter man, in particular, having been the "cement" in the side following his £70m arrival from Real Madrid – as per his manager.

With Mason Mount subsequently brought in to partner the Brazilian ahead of this season, the balance was seemingly unsettled, with Casemiro and co having been "torn to shreds" by Gary O'Neil's side back in August – in the words of former United skipper Gary Neville.

While the introduction of Mount may have been a factor in the stark decline of the five-time Champions League winner – prior to his injury layoff in November – that can not wholly excuse his woes, hence reports that Ten Hag and co may already be contemplating showing the £350k-per-week asset the door at some stage this year.

Fingers must also be pointed at the likes of Sofyan Amrabat, Scott McTominay, Eriksen and Mount, yet it is Casemiro who will take much of the focus due to his hefty fee and exorbitant wage, with Neville highlighting him as a player who "doesn't fit the long-term" at Old Trafford.

With that in mind, if the one-time Porto man is to be sent packing either this month or during the summer, the Red Devils may have already stumbled across a perfect replacement in the form of Sporting CP star, Morten Hjulmand.

Man Utd transfer news – Morten Hjulmand

According to a report from The Sun earlier this week, United have seen an offer rejected by Sporting for the Danish midfielder, having lodged a bid that would have seen Facundo Pellistri included as part of the deal.

The suggestion is that such a proposal was knocked back as the Primeira Liga outfit are instead looking to acquire a fee of around £69m, such is the 24-year-old's release clause in his existing deal.

Ten Hag's side are said to have scouted Eriksen's international colleague on numerous occasions this season, although whether they will cough up the required funds remains to be seen, with Sporting seemingly not entertaining the inclusion of Pellistri.

Forking out £69m on a player who only arrived in Lisbon from Lecce on a £15m deal last year may appear like yet more errant business from the Old Trafford outfit, yet Hjulmand has certainly justified that price tag amid his sparkling showings in Portugal to date.

Morten Hjlumand's style of play

The one-time Admira Wacker talent may not be the high-profile target that some supporters will be craving, yet as the case of Casemiro has shown, going for the big-name, marquee signing isn't always the wisest approach.

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Turning to Hjlumand would allow Ten Hag to snap up a midfield operator who is simply "an absolute monster" in the centre of the park – in the words of journalist Zach Lowy – having proven himself a truly dominant presence in front of the back four of late.

As Lowy has also noted, the "natural leader" has the "physicality, positional awareness and vision to play as a lone holding midfielder", something which would free up the likes of Mount or Kobbie Mainoo to impact proceedings in a more attacking sense.

If a move to the Premier League were to lie ahead for Hjulmand, he could well emulate the success of another former Sporting destroyer in Joao Palhinha, with the one-time United target currently thriving for Fulham.

As "strong as an Ox", according to Sky Sports reporter Jamie Weir, Palhinha currently leads the way in the division for tackles made, having also topped the charts in that regard last season (148).

While the 6 foot 1 Hjulmand may not be quite as imposing as his Portuguese counterpart – who stands at 6 foot 4 – he too is also a master at winning back the ball for his side, averaging 2.1 tackles per game in the league this season, as well as recovering 5.7 balls per game.

Even described as a "mix of Palhinha and [Manuel] Ugarte" by his manager, Ruben Amorim, the United target may have the tools to follow in the path of the Fulham ace in English football.

How Hjulmand compares to Casemiro

Not only a Palhinha-esque talent, Hjulmand seemingly has the credentials to be able to fill the shoes of Casemiro at the Theatre of Dreams, if the 75-cap Brazil international is to move on before too long.

14 games (13 starts)

1 goal

1 assist

2 'big chances' created

0.8 key passes per game

87% pass accuracy rate

2.1 tackles

5.7 balls recovered per game

51% total duels won

8.5x possession lost per game

7.5 avg. match rating

Stats via Sofascore

United's number 18 does actually boast a similar defensive record in 2023/24 having averaged 2.6 tackles and 5.4 balls recovered per game from his eight Premier League starts, although it is on the ball where Hjulmand perhaps has the edge.

That can be seen by the fact that the Dane has enjoyed a pass accuracy rate of 87% while losing the ball just 8.5 times per game on average in the Primeira Liga, having also created two 'big chances' from his 14 appearances.

Casemiro, by contrast, has featured on fewer occasions yet has lost the ball on average 12.3 times per game and boasts a pass accuracy rate of only 83%, ensuring that he has the ability to play his side into trouble with an errant or slack pass.

The sluggish nature of the 31-year-old's play has also seen him prone to being undone on the counter, having been unable to prevent a number of relatively simple cut-backs from the opposition early in the season, such as for Danny Welbeck's opener in the defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion.

Although Hjulmand himself is not known for "being the quickest", he is still "always first to loose balls" – as per Lowy – indicating that he may be the man to help United stop conceding such soft goals on the break.

Also likely to be a more long-term option than Casemiro due to his age, the three-cap Denmark international has certainly warranted Ten Hag's interest – now the club must do all they can to push for his signature.