Amorim targets £86m Sporting CP raid in first transfer move as AC Milan manager

Ruben Amorim has been appointed AC Milan manager and is wasting no time in the transfer market, with Italian reports identifying Sporting CP’s Francisco Trincao and Morten Hjulmand as his primary targets at a combined cost of around £86m.

Amorim, 41, returns to management five months after being sacked by Manchester United following a 1-1 draw at Leeds. The Italian press have described Trincao and Hjulmand as “two of Amorim’s favourites” — a relationship built during his time coaching both players in the Portuguese league.

Trincao, 26, carries a release clause of approximately £51m and has registered 47 goals and 51 assists in 208 appearances for Sporting. His versatility across the front line is understood to be a key attraction for Amorim, though Liverpool, Arsenal, and Chelsea have also been linked with the Portugal international.

Hjulmand, Sporting’s captain, has a separate agreement with the club allowing him to leave for around £35m. The Danish midfielder impressed during a loan spell at Lecce in Serie A and contributed four goals and four assists in Amorim’s final full season in Lisbon, where the pair won the league title together. Atletico Madrid are also monitoring the 28-year-old.

The pursuit of Hjulmand carries an added complication: Portuguese outlet Correio da Manha reports that Manchester United — Amorim’s former club — are among the sides in contention for the midfielder, with Michael Carrick’s side said to be leading that race. That would set up a direct transfer battle between Amorim and the club that dismissed him.

Speaking on his appointment, Amorim said: “There are ambitions that stay with you throughout your career, and coaching AC Milan has always been one of mine. I know exactly what this club means: history, prestige and an extraordinary fanbase around the world. It is a challenge I embrace with pride.”

Amorim’s prior relationships with both players could give AC Milan an edge in negotiations, though the combined outlay and the volume of competing clubs make either deal far from straightforward.