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Manchester United and Newcastle United watched Morten Hjulmand in action as the Dane helped Sporting CP beat Benfica in the Taca de Portugal on Tuesday (April 2), according to HITC.
Sporting played out a 2-2 draw with arch-rivals Benfica in the second leg of the Portuguese Cup semi-finals on Tuesday. Having won the first leg 2-1, Ruben Amorim's side claimed a 4-3 victory on aggregate and booked their place in the final.
The occasion was reportedly graced by the presence of scouts from more than 20 clubs across Europe. Manchester United and Newcastle are among the teams that sent representatives to the game in Lisbon.
According to the aforementioned source, the two Premier League clubs paid close attention to Sporting's Hjulmand among others. The Denmark international certainly did not disappoint as he opened the scoring for Amorim's side on the evening.
Hjulmand has been a key player for Sporting since joining them from Italian club Lecce for €18 million last summer. Operating in a double pivot in Amorim's modified 3-4-3 formation, the defensive-minded midfielder has made 42 appearances across competitions.
The 24-year-old has also displayed his ability to contribute in the final third, racking up four goals and assists each.
Hjulmand is contracted to Sporting until 2028, meaning the Primeira Liga giants are under no pressure to sell him. There is also a whopping €80 million release clause in his deal. Therefore, any interested club would likely have to cough up a significant amount of money to acquire him.
Manchester United and Newcastle watched other Sporting and Benfica players
Morten Hjulmand was not the only player on Manchester United and Newcastle's radar on Tuesday (April 2). The Premier League clubs also assessed other players from Sporting and Benfica on the night.
According to HITC, Newcastle kept tabs on Sporting central defender Ousmane Diomande during the game. The 20-year-old Ivorian has been integral to the Lions' push to win the domestic double and the Magpies' interest does not come as a surprise. However, like Hjulmand, he has an €80 million release clause.
Manchester United, meanwhile, ran the rule over Benfica duo Antonio Silva and Joao Neves. The Red Devils rate the Portuguese youngsters highly and have been scouting them for over 12 months.
Silva, 20, is a highly-rated central defender, while Neves, 19, is a defensive-minded midfielder capable of building attacks from deeper areas. Both players have attracted significant transfer interest ahead of the summer and are likely to cost a hefty sum.
