Leeds transfer news: Marsch sets sights on Lecce's Morten Hjulmand

By Giuseppe Labellarte

Leeds United have reportedly set their sights on Lecce midfielder Morten Hjulmand.

Rudy Galetti claimed earlier this week that the Whites were one of several Premier League clubs eyeing the 23-year-old.

Ben Jacobs also covered the Elland Road side’s apparent interest in Hjulmand on the JustJoeFootballShow (19/1/23; 11m30s).

The CBS journalist claimed that Lecce want £20million for their player, which would present a “challenge” for Leeds.

However, Jacobs believes the Whites are “spinning plates” late on in the January window, which bodes well.

“So the challenge here is fee, plain and simple,” said Jacobs.

“Lecce are valuing him at somewhere close to £20million and Leeds are quite late in terms of expressing interest.

“So they can’t be seen as a front runner here by any stretch of the imagination.

“But what we’re seeing is Leeds spinning plates late in the window.

“And I think that fans will be relatively pleased by that because, as you say, they brought in two players already.

“The fact that they’re still active in the market shows you that there’s a real commitment.”

Leeds target Hjulmand – factfile

Hjulmand came through the ranks at FC Copenhagen before joining Austria’s Admira Wacker in 2018 on a free transfer.

He then joined Lecce in 2021 for a reported £130,000 fee, helping then win the Serie B championship.

Hjulmand has also made the Denmark squad for one game, though he’s yet to make his debut.

The 23-year-old is a defensive midfielder by trade, but he can also play centrally and even in attacking midfield.

Hjulmand is part of the Boutique Transfer agency, which counts Leeds defender Rasmus Kristensen among its clients.

West Ham fansite GSH recently published a scouting report on Hjulmand.

They claim ‘Italian journalists have praised Hjulmand’s tenacious and possessive role in the midfield.

‘He is used to play as a defensive midfielder, but moving to an Italian team allowed him to play in a more complex role.

‘He’s currently used as a mezzala, which allows him to drop deep in front of the back four to assist the transition of play.

‘He stays central to the ball when his team is out of possession.

‘When the opposition attempts to play through the middle, Hjulmand forms an extra body in front of the central defence and helps to break up the attack.

‘Although he is quick to react to his team losing possession and adds to a defensive formation, he is known for having a bad disciplinary record.’