Andreas Schjelderup: Benfica's €30m Winger in High Demand

Andreas Schjelderup is no longer a quiet Benfica project. He is the winger every sporting director in Europe has circled in red ink.

A blistering start to the World Cup with Norway has turned steady admiration into open pursuit. Milan and Como are the latest Serie A clubs to move from curiosity to concrete interest, joining a heavyweight queue that already includes Liverpool, Tottenham and Atletico Madrid, all tracking the 22-year-old’s every touch.

Benfica’s €30m statement

Benfica know exactly what they have on their hands. TuttoMercatoWeb report that the Portuguese champions now value Schjelderup at around €30 million – roughly double the figure Club Brugge tried to put on the table in January.

That offer never stood a chance once he delivered the kind of performance that changes careers. A match-winning brace against Real Madrid forced José Mourinho’s hand; the coach shut the door on a winter exit and pulled him straight off the market. From that moment, any discount disappeared.

Parma also pushed hard in that window. CEO Federico Cherubini has already admitted they came close, only to fall short before the deadline. They are now watching a player whose price and profile have rocketed beyond their reach.

A winger built for modern football

On the pitch, the appeal is obvious. Schjelderup is a left-footed right winger who can operate comfortably on either flank, drifting inside to combine or holding the width to stretch defences. Last season he produced 10 goals and seven assists in 43 appearances for Benfica across all competitions, the kind of balanced output that makes analysts and scouts nod in unison.

Those numbers have not gone unnoticed. They rarely do when attached to a young attacker in Lisbon. But the World Cup has shifted the conversation from potential to proof.

World Cup stage, rising stock

Norway turned to him when it mattered. Coming off the bench, Schjelderup helped tilt a wild group-stage contest against Senegal, playing his part in a 3-2 win that sealed Norway’s place in the last 16. It was the sort of high-pressure cameo that resonates in boardrooms as much as in dressing rooms.

The response across Europe has been predictable: more phone calls, more scouting missions, more clubs asking the same question – how much, and when?

Barcelona watching, player waiting

His name has now been linked with Barcelona, who are assessing options as a potential replacement for Marcus Rashford. For a 22-year-old, that is rarefied company, but Schjelderup has kept his feet on the ground.

“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 speculation.

It was a measured answer from a player whose market is anything but calm. With his value climbing and the list of suitors growing by the week, Benfica hold all the leverage. When the real bidding starts, they will not be short of offers – only of time to answer every call.