Leece turned down an £11 million offer from the Premier League in January for Morten Hjulmand
According to the president of Serie A team Lecce, who spoke with Rai GR Parlamento, the club turned down an £11 million offer from the Premier League in January for Morten Hjulmand, who was reportedly wanted by Leeds United, Nottingham Forest, and Southampton.
Lecce is now 13th in their first season back in the top division, seven points above the drop zone and safe from relegation. However, this does not imply that I Giallorossi take their position as a powerhouse for granted.
Eight figures were offered to Lecce for Hjulmand, the club captain. Saverio Sticchi Damiani, though, claims that the former Copenhagen enforcer never intended to leave the team in the middle of the season. Not while it is still possible to dredge Lecce up from the depths.
“Besides being our captain, he is a source of pride,” says the Lecce president.
“He was almost born in 2000, and such a young captain is a strong signal. (Director Pantaleo) Corvino brought him in Admira Wacker, where he didn’t even play as a starter. In January, we received an offer of 13 million (euros) from the Premier League. But we have important objectives. It is a luxury that we can afford (to keep Hjulmand) thanks to our politics. The boy is happy,” he added.
Lecce put Hjulmand’s worth at £18 million, as reported by Gazzetta dello Sport. Ex-Elland Road manager Jesse Marsch has agreed to become the next head coach for Southampton, making him the third head coach for the Saints this season. Leeds and Nottingham Forest are also apparently interested in the former Denmark U21 international (The Guardian).
Some have speculated that Hjulmand might do well in the Premier League because of his physicality and ferocity. Most notably at a club with a reputation for pushing the ball forward aggressively.
