“I don’t really care”: Sporting Lisbon linked midfielder fires brutal reply to Tottenham Hostspur amid transfer links after a controversial footage revealed his tattooed Arsenal logo on his arm [Full story link in comment]
Morten Hjulmand has said that he is not paying any attention to the speculation linking him to the likes of Tottenham, insisting that he is focused on having a strong finish to the season with Sporting Lisbon.
Hjulmand’s stock has risen dramatically over the last eight months since his switch from Lecce to Sporting last summer, with the 24-year-old having been one of the most consistent midfielders on show in the Primeira Liga this season.
Tottenham are thought to be in the market for a number six this summer and it has been suggested over recent weeks that the Dane is one of the names on their wishlist.
The latest such report came from the print edition of Record (via Sport Witness), who claimed a couple of days ago that the North London side had sent scouts to Portugal to watch the midfielder in action over recent weeks.
However, the outlet stated that Sporting are hopeful that the midfielder will reject the Premier League side’s advances in the summer and decide to remain at Jose Alvalade Stadium next season.
The report asserted that ‘the entire structure of the club’ want Hjulmand to reject Tottenham and that they are prepared to hand the player a pay rise in order to get him to stay.
Morten Hjulmand responds to Spurs transfer links
The Denmark international has now batted away the speculation, insisting that he is fully focused on his task at hand in Lisbon for the moment.
When asked about the transfer rumours, the player told Bold.dk: “I don’t really care that much about it. I’m focusing on a very, very long season right now with Sporting, where we have many matches.
“There’s still a long way to go. We have an ambition that we set out before the season started, and we want to fulfil it.
“There are so many rumours in international football that it’s hard to make sense of it all. So, to be honest, it’s not something I spend time on. If I did, I could spend hours and hours speculating.
“But it’s not something I spend time on. I spend time on my daily life at Sporting and optimising myself there as a player.”
Spurs Web Opinion
With Sporting now in a title race and with Hjulmand also having the Euros to look forward to this summer, it stands to reason that the midfielder would not have given much thought to his future for the time being.
However, that does not mean that the 24-year-old’s head would not be turned if Spurs made a concrete approach for him.
ABOUT HIS TATTOOED ARM
Sporting midfielder Morten Hjulmand could find himself in a rather awkward situation should Tottenham follow up on their interest in the summer.
The Denmark international has been on Spurs’ radar for some time but grew up as an avid Arsenal fan and has the Gunners’ club crest tattooed on his upper left arm.
Speaking to Portuguese outlet Record, Hjulmand, who idolised Patrick Vieira as a child, revealed his devotion for Arsenal had been passed down from his father.
‘My dad supported Arsenal and we watched games together when we were younger,’ he said.
Given the transient nature of football, the sight of players sporting tattoos of a club’s crest may sound rather odd but in Hjulmand’s case it could lead to some difficult conversations.
According to Record, the 24-year-old is a target for Tottenham with Ange Postecoglou looking to replace Oliver Skipp and Pierre Emile Hojbjerg, both of whom have tipped to leave the club at the end of the season.
The report adds Spurs sent scouts to watch Hjulmand in action in the first leg of the Portuguese Cup against Benfica on Thursday, which Sporting won 2-1.
Record notes there is ‘growing belief’ in Portugal that Spurs could table a formal bid for the Dane, despite his Arsenal allegiances.
Hjulmand joined Sporting from Serie A side Lecce for £15.4million last summer and immediately became a regular in Ruben Amorim’s side.
He has started 32 of his 36 appearances in all competitions, scoring twice and registering four assists.
Sporting are top of the table with 59 points after 23 games, one clear of Benfica and seven clear of Porto but have a game in hand on both of their rivals.
