Arsenal told they can still hijack €50m deal by club president

Arsenal have been told by Sporting CP president Frederico Varandas that they can still swoop in and snap up target Morten Hjulmand. The Denmark international is expected to be on the move this summer. Despite fielding interest from various clubs, including Man Utd, Hjulmand stayed put last year, and Sporting CP now want to reward him for this by allowing him to pursue a transfer for a reasonable price. They are reportedly no longer demanding that his €80 million release clause be triggered and are prepared to sell him for around €50m. This has piqued the interest of numerous suitors, given that he has been a standout performer for the Lisbon club. Hjulmand is Sporting's captain and midfield dynamo. He was previously hailed by former head coach Ruben Amorim as being "more complete" than predecessors Joao Palhinha and Manuel Ugarte, who fetched the Portuguese club €24.9m and €60m, respectively. Atletico Madrid are showing the strongest interest in the 27-year-old so far. They have reportedly agreed personal terms with Hjulmand and are in advanced talks with Sporting. Atleti have yet to achieve a breakthrough in these discussions with their Portuguese counterparts. Sporting have rejected an opening offer and are now awaiting an improved bid from the Spanish giants. Arsenal have been watching the situation from afar. In May, it was claimed that the Gunners had made contact with Hjulmand's camp to explore a potential transfer, but it does not appear that there has been much movement from the Premier League champions since. Hjulmand would certainly be keen on the move. He is a boyhood Arsenal fan and even has the club badge tattooed on his left arm. Club president Frederico Varandas has now given the player hope that he could still secure his dream transfer. Speaking to reporters after the fixtures of the new Primeira Liga season were announced, Varandas confirmed the interest from Atleti but insisted that the race to sign him was still open. "We’re talking about hypothetical scenarios," he said. "Hjulmand is still a Sporting player. We received an offer from Atletico Madrid, which we rejected. It’s a long way from the value we want. "We have established a fair value, appropriate for his age, his position and the years he has spent at Sporting. Both the player and his agents know that value. Anything below it and the player stays."