Juventus make Morten Hjulmand their top target, offer two players to Sporting

Juventus have made Danish midfielder Morten Hjulmand their number one transfer target this summer, and are exploring creative ways to convince Sporting CP to let him go  including offering Douglas Luiz and Arthur Melo as part of the deal.

New Juventus head coach Igor Tudor is a long-time admirer of Hjulmand, having previously attempted to sign him while managing Marseille.

Now in charge of the Turin giants, Tudor sees the 25-year-old Danish international as the perfect anchor for his midfield.

Hjulmand, who made a name for himself at Lecce before moving to Sporting in 2023, has grown into a vital player in Portugal. Juventus are convinced he’s ready to return to Serie A  this time in black and white.

However, acquiring Hjulmand won’t be easy. The midfielder has a reported €80 million release clause, and Sporting are expected to demand a figure close to that despite being open to negotiation.

Juventus consider that price unrealistic and are working on lowering the cost through player exchanges.

In an attempt to bridge the gap, Juventus are reportedly willing to include Douglas Luiz, who recently skipped pre-season camp and is expected to be sold.

The Brazilian midfielder is valued at €40 million, and a return to the Premier League has been rumored  but he may now be offered to Sporting to help unlock the Hjulmand deal.

Arthur Melo, another midfielder Juventus are hoping to offload, could also be part of the package.

The former Barcelona player is attracting interest from Real Betis, but could still be used as leverage in talks with Sporting.

Juventus also need to mend relations with Sporting after a recent transfer dispute involving Alberto Costa.

The Portuguese side were reportedly blindsided when Costa, once close to joining them, instead ended up at rivals Porto, who swooped in with a last-minute offer including Joao Mario and a cash bonus.

As a result, Juventus sporting director Damien Comolli is now working behind the scenes to reopen communication and rebuild trust with the Portuguese champions.

Talks are expected to resume in the coming days, with Sporting reportedly seeking around €60 million for Hjulmand  a price Juventus still view as excessive.

Including Luiz and Arthur in the deal could significantly reduce the financial burden and finally bring the Danish midfielder to the Allianz Stadium.