It’s one thing for Manchester United to be outplayed at the Etihad, but being outclassed away at a struggling Brentford side is even more concerning. The Red Devils allowed Brentford to take 31 shots, exposing significant vulnerabilities in Erik ten Hag’s squad.
On Saturday evening, the main issue was the midfield, where Scott McTominay delivered a worryingly poor performance, underscoring the urgent need for reinforcements. With Christian Eriksen and Casemiro both expected to leave this summer, United must find a solid, long-term replacement for Kobbie Mainoo in the center of the pitch.
According to reports from Portugal (via Record), Manchester United is competing with Barcelona for Sporting CP midfielder Morten Hjulmand, who had an impressive first season in Lisbon. Both clubs are closely monitoring the former Lecce player in preparation for a summer bid, although no formal offers have been made yet.
This comes on the heels of a previous report from The Sun in January, indicating that Ten Hag’s team considered sending Facundo Pellistri in the opposite direction to secure the 24-year-old, while Sporting waits to see if any club will trigger his £69 million release clause.
Described by journalist Dean Jones as a player who could “play alongside Mainoo for years,” Hjulmand may provide the defensive presence United needs at the base of the midfield, allowing the young Englishman to thrive in a more advanced role. Mainoo demonstrated his potential in his first senior international start against Belgium, suggesting he can excel in a box-to-box capacity, akin to Paul Pogba.
Mainoo, not a traditional holding midfielder as indicated by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, requires a dominant force to complement his style. Writer Zach Lowy has noted Hjulmand as an “absolute monster,” possessing the physicality, positional awareness, and vision needed for a lone holding midfielder.
Hjulmand is being touted as an “upgrade on Casemiro” for United. While this may seem bold when comparing a lesser-known Danish player to a five-time Champions League winner, current form suggests Hjulmand could be the more effective option for the club.
In the current league season, Hjulmand has scored three goals and provided three assists, boasting an 87% pass accuracy rate. He has also created four ‘big chances’ and won 54% of his duels while averaging 5.1 recoveries per game, according to Sofascore.
In contrast, Casemiro has managed just one goal and two assists in the Premier League, with an 83% pass accuracy and only two ‘big chances’ created. Defensively, he has won only 49% of his duels and averages 4.8 recoveries per game, despite a better tackle rate (3.1 vs. 1.9).
Most striking is how easily Casemiro is bypassed in midfield, averaging 2.2 dribbles against him per game compared to Hjulmand’s 0.7. This disparity highlights the pressing need for a change this summer, with Hjulmand potentially being the unexpected improvement Manchester United requires.