Manchester City have been told that even a price of 80 million would not be enough to land Sporting CP and Denmark midfielder, Morten Hjulmand.
The Portuguese top-flight star has reportedly attracted interest from the Premier League giants, alongside their city bitter rivals Manchester United under former Sporting coach Ruben Amorim, and Serie A giants Juventus.
Pep Guardiolas side have often hit the nail on the head when it comes to recruiting midfielders with signings such as Ballon dOr winner Rodri and Kevin de Bruyne reshaping the history of the greatest club of this generation.
Yet, a move during the upcoming winter market for Hjulmand looks impractical due to restrictions on the 26-year-olds release clause, which states that the obligation priced at 80 million can only be triggered in the summer.
Therefore, Sporting own the right to demand any price they wish in the upcoming January transfer window, which is unlikely to inspire a move for the talented Denmark international, according to A Bola.
That effectively blocks any potential transfer for Hjulmand, who starred in the previous round of UEFA Champions League fixtures when Sporting CP and Juventus played out a 1-1 draw in Turin.
Morten Hjulmand controlled midfield areas with ease by winning battles and being the epitome of a powerhouse, something that Manchester City desire due to a lack of depth in the midst of their setup.
Rodri is currently still out after suffering a hamstring injury as a result of his long-term anterior cruciate tear which saw him miss 236 days and 53 matches for club and country across an eight-month period last campaign.
To make matters worse for Pep Guardiolas side, Mateo Kovacic recently required a second round of surgery on an achilles injury which has resulted in him missing almost the entirety of Manchester Citys campaign so far and will keep him on the sidelines until at least February.
The midfielder missed out on a place in Croatias squad for the November international break with the head coach Zlakto Dalic admitting his worry over whether the midfielder will be ready for next summers FIFA World Cup.
Other options for Pep Guardiola include Tijjani Reijnders and Nico Gonzalez, both of whom have enjoyed life in England so far, combining nine goal contributions since their arrivals from AC Milan in the summer and FC Porto in January respectively.
But if injuries persist as often as they have done in previous campaigns, the Catalan tactician must be prepared to spend in January, as the prevalence of players being sidelined only continues to rise.