Lecce captain Morten Hjulmand insists he is not focusing on reports linking him with Premier League trio Tottenham Hotspur, Leeds United and Southampton, speaking to Tuttomercatoweb.
The youngest captain in the whole of Serie A is typical of Lecce. Last season’s second-tier champions pride themselves upon signing young, hungry, up-and-coming talent boasting substantial re-sale potential and Hjulmand, a 200,000 euro signing from Admira Wacker, proves that there is considerable value in such an approach.
The Denmark U21 international is valued at around £17 million these days.
Lecce rejected an £11 million bid from Southampton in January. According to Calciomercato, Tottenham have sent scouts to watch Hjulmand on several occasions. As have runaway Serie A leaders Napoli, Bundesliga title challengers Borussia Dortmund, and relegation-threatened Leeds United.
Hjulmand, however, is refusing to let all this transfer talk distract him from the task at hand; Lecce eight points clear of the drop zone and determined to stay on the right side of the line.
Tottenham, Leeds and Southampton like Morten Hjulmand
“I don’t think about it,” Hjulmand says. “I’m only thinking about Lecce. I prefer to talk about myself and the team. I don’t read the newspapers much!
“I’m focused only on Lecce.”
Powerful, aggressive and boasting greater ball-winning numbers than compatriot and Spurs enforcer Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg; former Lecce skipper Remo Papini believes that Hjulmand has the ‘characteristics’ to thrive in the Premier League.
“Certainly, Morten Hjulmand is the footballer who surprised me the most of all,” Papini argues. “He has really big potential.
“I believe that, in the future, he can do very well even in leading competitions and on the international scene. Given his characteristics, I can see him doing well in English football.”
“He’s a really, really professional player,” adds fellow Dane Mikkel Damsgaard, now at Brentford, (TV2). “He always works insanely hard, and I know he has taken some really big steps at Lecce.
“He has done absolutely fantastic. I definitely believe that he could well become a long-term national team player.”
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
