Andreas Schjelderup: Benfica's €30m Transfer Target

Andreas Schjelderup is no longer a quiet secret in Lisbon. He is the World Cup breakout who has turned a steady hum of interest into a full-blown transfer battle across Europe.

The 22-year-old Benfica winger has forced his way onto the shortlists of some of the continent’s heaviest hitters. Liverpool, Tottenham and Atletico Madrid have been tracking him for months. Now Milan and ambitious newcomers Como have joined the chase, sensing that this might be the last summer to move before his price climbs out of reach.

Benfica’s new €30m bargaining chip

Benfica know exactly what they have on their hands. According to reports in Italy, the Portuguese club now value Schjelderup at around €30 million. That figure is already double what Club Brugge were prepared to pay in January.

Back then, a deal looked close. Then came Real Madrid.

Schjelderup hit a match-winning brace against the Spanish giants, a performance that changed everything. José Mourinho reacted decisively, pulling him off the market and shutting the door on Brugge’s hopes of a bargain.

Parma felt the same frustration. CEO Federico Cherubini has admitted the club came close in the winter window but ultimately could not get the move over the line. Since then, every goal, every assist has pushed the price a little higher.

A winger built for modern football

The appeal is obvious. Schjelderup is a left-footed right winger who can operate comfortably on either flank, drifting inside to finish or holding the width to stretch defences. Last season he delivered 10 goals and seven assists in 43 appearances for Benfica across all competitions, numbers that carry weight for a player still only 22.

Those figures have not gone unnoticed in recruitment departments. He offers end product, positional flexibility and the kind of profile that fits almost any attacking system. For clubs trying to refresh their forward lines without paying superstar fees, he looks like a calculated gamble with serious upside.

World Cup stage, global spotlight

Then came the World Cup, and with it, a bigger stage.

Used from the bench for Norway, Schjelderup still managed to tilt a game of real jeopardy. Thrown on against Senegal, he helped turn a tight contest into a 3-2 win that booked Norway’s place in the last 16. It was the sort of cameo that sticks in the mind of scouts and sporting directors: a young attacker unfazed by the pressure, decisive when it mattered.

That performance has only accelerated the interest, especially from Serie A. Milan, in need of fresh attacking legs and long-term solutions out wide, have stepped up their monitoring. Como, with new money and big ambitions, see an opportunity to make a statement signing who fits their project and their timeline.

Barcelona lurking in the background

There is another name in the frame, one that always changes the temperature of any transfer story: Barcelona.

Schjelderup has been mentioned as a possible option for Barça as they look at potential replacements for Marcus Rashford. For now, it is only a link, not a negotiation, and the player himself has been careful not to fan the flames.

“It would be fantastic if those rumours were true, but at the moment I don’t know anything concrete,” he said when asked about the Catalan interest.

Measured, but telling. He knows his stock is rising. He also knows that this summer could define the next five years of his career.

Benfica hold the cards

What is clear is that Benfica will not be rushed. With his value climbing and a growing queue of suitors, the Portuguese champions hold both options and leverage. They have already shown they are willing to walk away from deals that do not meet their demands.

For Milan, Como, Liverpool, Tottenham, Atletico and any other club tempted to join the race, the message is simple: if you want Andreas Schjelderup now, you will have to pay the World Cup premium.

Wait too long, and the conversation might move to a different level – and a different table.