More than a defensive anchor
Atlético de Madrid officially announced the signing of Morten Hjulmand on 11 July 2026. His contract runs for five years, until June 2031. Across three seasons with Sporting CP, he made 141 appearances in all competitions, scoring 10 goals and providing 12 assists. He won two consecutive Portuguese league titles and the domestic cup during his time in Lisbon, and became club captain in the summer of 2024.
The fee also reflects the expectation that he will contribute immediately. According to Sporting SAD's filing with Portugal's Securities Market Commission, the fixed payment is €40 million. A further €5 million can be triggered by performance-related objectives, taking the total package to a maximum of €45 million. Atlético will also cover solidarity payments, while Sporting reported no intermediary fees on its side.
Paying a fixed €40 million for a 27-year-old is not primarily a bet on future development or resale value. Hjulmand is expected to become an important midfielder from his first season and produce a visible change in the team.
Describing him simply as an anchor who wins the ball would narrow the meaning of the signing. The key question is not only how many tackles he makes. With Hjulmand in the centre, how high can Pablo Barrios play? How much of Koke's workload can be shared? And when Alejandro Grimaldo advances, who protects the space behind him?
Hjulmand can change the division of responsibilities: who stays low, who steps forward and how the spaces around midfield are covered. That is the wider significance of the transfer.
Keeping the attack moving after the regain
Hjulmand's defending is not built only on charging into the ball carrier. He blocks passing lanes in front of the back line, reads where the next pass is going and moves to recover the ball. His strength is not limited to winning direct challenges; he can also arrive early in the area the opponent is trying to use next.
At 185 centimetres, he is strong in contact and can move from central areas towards the flank to help a teammate. He has not, however, spent his career defending an enormous central space alone. At Sporting, he was most effective within a structure in which his midfield partner and the defensive line shared responsibility for controlling the centre.
His decisions after winning possession are also important. When receiving from the back, he is capable of playing vertically or switching the point of attack rather than simply returning the ball to the nearest teammate. If possession is recovered only to be circulated sideways, the opponent gains time to reset. If Hjulmand connects quickly with the next line, Álvarez, Baena and the wide attackers can receive before the defensive block is fully organised.
His ability to shoot with his right foot from outside the box also separates him from a purely defensive midfielder. He should not be expected to score in large numbers, but he gives the team another way to finish attacks when the opponent drops deep and protects the centre.
Hjulmand's value lies in stopping an attack and then helping Atlético start the next one.
Experience in both a back three and a back four
After joining Sporting in the summer of 2023, Hjulmand played in the two-man midfield of Rúben Amorim's 3-4-3. Positioned in front of three centre-backs, he often shared the centre with Hidemasa Morita and helped protect the space behind the advancing wing-backs.
With three defenders left behind the ball, Hjulmand could step towards the opposition midfield more aggressively. When one wing-back advanced, he moved towards that side while remaining aware of the central route. His partner and the three centre-backs adjusted around him, sharing the spaces that opened.
After Rui Borges took charge, Sporting used a 4-2-3-1 more regularly. Hjulmand played in the double pivot in front of a back four, contributing to the first phase of possession, central protection and the reaction after losing the ball.
Grimaldo, another of Atlético's summer signings, has also worked in both structures. In a back three he can play high as a left wing-back, while in a back four he joins attacks from left-back. Hjulmand has likewise adapted his receiving positions and the timing of his movements towards the flank according to the number of defenders behind him.
That flexibility can help Atlético change shape during matches. Both players can refer to roles they have already performed when the team moves from a back four to a back three. Their arrivals do not, however, establish a back three as Atlético's default system. Success will depend on who covers behind Grimaldo and who protects the centre when Hjulmand moves wide.
Can he move Barrios one line higher?
Barrios may be the player most directly affected by Hjulmand's arrival. He can receive in deeper areas, escape pressure and carry the ball beyond the opposition midfield. If he remains in front of the centre-backs for long periods, however, he has fewer opportunities to use that acceleration closer to goal.
If Hjulmand protects the area in front of the centre-backs and takes responsibility for the first pass from deep, Barrios does not need to drop to the same height in every possession. He can position himself beside or behind the opposition midfield and carry the ball from there. After a turnover, he can also press forward rather than always retreating immediately towards his own defensive line.
This does not remove Barrios's defensive duties. In a double pivot he will still need to close the centre, move towards the flank and return in front of the defence when the situation demands it. What can change is where he begins those defensive actions and how high he operates when Atlético have the ball.
Hjulmand is not a replacement for Barrios. He is a player who could allow Atlético to use Barrios's carrying and forward momentum closer to the opposition goal.
Who protects the space behind Grimaldo?
As discussed in the analysis of Grimaldo's arrival, maximising his attacking qualities requires a clear plan for the space he leaves when he advances. Hjulmand could move towards the left and block the opponent's route into that area.
That movement can also leave the centre exposed. One possible solution in a back four would be for the left centre-back to move out, Hjulmand to protect the inside channel and the other midfielder to recover the central space. Without that coordination, Atlético would protect Grimaldo's flank by weakening the middle.
The player operating ahead of Grimaldo also has a role. Depending on the formation, that may be the left midfielder in a 4-4-2, the left winger in a 4-2-3-1 or the left-sided attacking midfielder in a 3-4-2-1. If that attacker presses immediately after possession is lost and delays the opponent's first pass, Hjulmand and the back line gain time to recover their positions.
If Baena fills that role, he does not necessarily need to track back to the edge of his own box after every turnover. He does need to apply pressure to the nearest opponent and prevent an easy forward pass. Grimaldo, the left-sided attacker, Hjulmand and the left centre-back must work together if Atlético are to combine attacking freedom with defensive stability on that side.
A back three would bring both players closer to familiar roles. Grimaldo could remain high as the left wing-back, with a left centre-back behind him. Hjulmand could manage the centre and the left side from the double pivot, allowing the left-sided attacking midfielder to stay closer to goal.
One player would create from the flank and the other would support that freedom from midfield. Using the structure regularly would still require enough depth at centre-back; the qualities of two new signings cannot determine the entire base system on their own.
Calling him Koke's successor is only half right
Hjulmand will inevitably be described as Koke's successor. He can play deep in midfield, has captained two clubs and can direct teammates while contributing to the build-up. It is reasonable to see the signing as part of Atlético's attempt to manage Koke's minutes without losing organisation in midfield.
The two players do not control matches in the same way. Koke repeatedly makes himself available for short passes, reads the positions around him and adjusts the speed of possession. He is particularly valuable when Atlético need to keep the ball moving in tight spaces and maintain the distances between teammates.
Hjulmand's influence is more vertical. He stops forward progress, wins the ball and looks to deliver it towards the front line or the opposite flank. Rather than touching the ball as frequently as Koke to calm the game, he can affect matches by accelerating the transition from defence to attack.
He will not replace every part of Koke's work. Hjulmand could take on more of the defensive coverage and ball recovery while Koke focuses on distribution. Hjulmand could start before Koke enters late to control the rhythm. The value lies in being able to use them together or separately.
Johnny Cardoso is another option for the deeper midfield positions. Injuries disrupted his first season and limited the amount of time in which he could play consistently. He may compete with Hjulmand for a starting place, but the two could also play together when Atlético want greater protection through the centre.
Hjulmand and Barrios could divide defensive work and progression. Hjulmand and Cardoso could protect the centre while allowing the wide players to advance. Hjulmand and Koke could combine ball winning with game management. In a midfield three, Hjulmand could sit deepest with Barrios, Koke or Baena operating one line higher.
Hjulmand is not a copy of Koke. He is a player who can reduce the number of situations in which Atlético's midfield depends on Koke performing every organising task.
Success cannot be measured by tackles alone
The signing also carries risks. Sporting normally gave Hjulmand a midfield partner, so his main body of work does not come from defending a vast central area as a lone holding midfielder. If Simeone places several attack-minded players ahead of him, the surrounding midfielders and the defensive line will need to support him with their recovery runs and positioning.
His disciplinary record also deserves attention. A player who steps forward to stop attacks can collect fouls and cards when the timing is wrong. Missing major matches through accumulated bookings would reduce the value of a midfielder signed to provide reliability. He will need to adjust to La Liga's refereeing and match situations while avoiding unnecessary contact.
A fixed fee of €40 million, potentially rising to €45 million, also means this is not a transfer whose impact can be postponed for several seasons. Hjulmand will be expected to prepare as a central figure during pre-season and show results from the early part of the campaign.
Even so, tackles and interceptions alone will not determine whether the transfer works. Atlético should assess whether Barrios is playing higher and contributing more through carries and attacking runs; whether the midfield retains its spacing and circulation when Koke rests; whether the team can protect both the left flank and the centre when Grimaldo advances; and whether the left-sided attacker can operate closer to goal.
In a back four, Hjulmand should provide stability as part of the double pivot. In a back three, he should help support the wing-backs' attacking positions. After winning the ball, he should connect with the front line before the opponent resets. If he can also remain available for major matches by managing his bookings, Atlético will gain more than another midfield option: the strengths of the players around him will become easier to use.
Hjulmand's value will not be defined only by how often he wins the ball. The real test is whether he can help Atlético use Barrios higher, release Grimaldo and reduce Koke's workload.