Roma have joined the race to sign Lecce’s young captain Morten Hjulmand after Jose Mourinho reportedly requested the club pursue his signing. The 23-year-old is attracting attention from across Serie A and Europe this season, following a series of impressive displays for the Salentini, with Tottenham Hotspur the latest Premier League club to be linked with him.
La Liga side Atletico Madrid sent scouts to watch the youngster against Sassuolo at the weekend, but are likely to face a bidding war given that Lecce have already rejected a number of offers for the Danish international.
La Gazzetta dello Sport report that Juventus and Atalanta have already been following Hjulmand for some time now, but neither side has made a serious move to sign him yet.
Southampton were very close to agreeing a move for the young talent in the January transfer window, but their €14m offer was rejected by Lecce, who want to keep a hold of the young midfielder until at least this summer.
La Gazzetta outline how Mourinho has been keeping a close eye on Hjulmand and is very impressed with his tactical flexibility in the centre of the pitch, along with his high work rate.
According to Gazzetta, the Portuguese coach has specifically asked Roma management to try and acquire the 23-year-old this summer, and Sporing Director Tiago Pinto is already working on a deal.
For the moment, Lecce are avoiding transfer talks as they bid to consolidate their position in Serie A for another season by avoiding relegation, but the situation could change once safety is guaranteed, and Roma are looking to steal a march on their opponents by getting a deal in place as soon as possible.
