Atlético speeds up with Hjulmand and prepares another signing for the midfield

Atlético de Madrid

The Atlético de Madrid does not want to repeat the problems it suffered last season in midfield. The injuries to Johnny Cardoso and Pablo Barrios left the team short of options during several stretches of the campaign, and have led the sporting directorate to act decisively in the transfer market.

The roadmap is clear: two reinforcements will arrive for the midfield. The first is already well on track. The rojiblanco club maintains an initial agreement with Wolverhampton to sign Joao Gomes in a deal that would be around 40 million euros.

But the Brazilian will not be the only one. In the Metropolitano, they are continuing to push for Morten Hjulmand, one of the most highly rated midfielders for Simeone and for the sporting directorate. The Danish international was already close to joining the Atlético during the winter window, although the proposal put forward then did not meet Sporting Portugal's demands.

Now the situation is different. According to Portuguese media, the player has given the green light to the rojiblanco project and talks between both sides are said to be well advanced. The next step will be to submit a new offer to the Lisbon club, which expects to receive an amount close to 40 million euros in order to authorize his departure.

Hjulmand is under contract until 2028 and has a release clause of 80 million, although there is a verbal commitment that would make it easier for him to leave for a figure that is considerably lower. That situation keeps the operation alive despite competition from several important clubs on the continent.

In addition to the sporting project, the Atlético would be willing to make a major financial effort. The proposal prepared for the midfielder would triple the salary he currently earns in Portugal, an aspect that would have ultimately convinced the player.

With Joao Gomes very close and Hjulmand well on track, Atlético is looking to take a step up in quality in one of the positions that caused the most headaches during the last campaign. The rebuilding of the midfield is already underway, and Simeone expects to have new pieces in place as soon as possible to face the challenges of the next season.