Liverpool and Tottenham Target Andreas Schjelderup as Winger Option

Liverpool and Tottenham are circling one of Norway’s rising stars, with Andreas Schjelderup emerging as the latest winger on the radar of two clubs trying to reshape their attacks for the new season.

At Anfield, the rebuild out wide is already under way. Liverpool have beaten Newcastle United to Victor Munoz in a €40million (£34.5m) deal, a move designed to sharpen the left flank and push Cody Gakpo for minutes. Munoz adds depth, but he does not close the chapter on Liverpool’s search.

He can’t. Not when Mohamed Salah has walked away on a free transfer. Not when Gakpo might be asked to spend stretches of the campaign filling in at centre-forward, helping Alexander Isak until Hugo Ekitike returns from an Achilles injury. The wide positions, once Liverpool’s great strength, suddenly look like an open construction site.

That is where Schjelderup comes in.

Schjelderup draws Premier League glare

The 22-year-old, fresh from featuring in Norway’s first two World Cup group games, has pushed his way into the summer conversation with a sharp season at Benfica. Ten goals, seven assists, 43 appearances. He played his part in a side that went unbeaten in the Primeira Liga under Jose Mourinho, even if the unbeaten run still did not end with the title in their hands.

Benfica paid €14m to bring him in. Those days are gone. Reports now suggest his value has more than doubled, with a €30m (£26m) figure floated. Yet in Portugal, the bar has been set higher. Newspaper Record insists Benfica will not even pick up the phone for less than €40m.

That stance has not scared off England. Liverpool and Tottenham are both described as “following” the forward ahead of potential talks, with Atletico Madrid, AC Milan and Como also keeping tabs. Spurs, according to Record, have “burst into the race” in recent days, their interest stacking on top of Liverpool’s and corroborated by Tuttomercatoweb.

Schjelderup operates mainly from the left, gliding in from the flank rather than hugging the touchline. For Liverpool, that creates an intriguing tension. Munoz has already strengthened that side. How many left-leaning forwards does one squad need when the right wing is the real void?

The answer to that question leads directly to Yan Diomande.

Diomande remains the prize – at a brutal price

Liverpool’s primary focus remains the RB Leipzig star, a winger who does not care which side he starts from. Diomande is as comfortable on the right as he is on the left, a two-sided threat that fits the post-Salah blueprint almost perfectly.

Speculation on Thursday suggested Liverpool had dramatically cranked up their pursuit, with talk of a second offer of €116m (£100m) after an initial €100m (£86m) bid was reportedly knocked back. It sounded like the kind of statement move that would define a window.

It was also wrong.

Sky Germany reporter Philipp Hinze moved quickly to kill the story, describing the claims as “not true” and confirming there has been no second offer. Inside Anfield, the debate is ongoing. Liverpool are still weighing up whether to return to Leipzig with a new proposal in the region of €116-120m, potentially rising to around £104m.

Even that might not crack Leipzig’s resolve.

On June 19, it emerged that the Bundesliga club are holding out for a record-breaking €148m (£128m) if they are to part with Diomande this summer. They would rather keep him for at least one more year than sell at a discount, even one that would still rank among the biggest fees in history.

So Liverpool stand at a crossroads. On one side, Schjelderup: younger, cheaper, more positional overlap with Munoz, and a player whose best work comes from the left. On the other, Diomande: outrageously expensive, but a natural heir to the wide roles on either flank and a cleaner tactical fit.

The recruitment team’s preference is clear. Diomande is the one they want. Schjelderup is the alternative, not the headline act.

Tottenham’s arrival into the chase for the Norwegian adds another twist. If Liverpool do pour their resources into Diomande and fail to shift Leipzig’s stance, they could find Schjelderup wearing white in north London by the time they look back.

For two clubs trying to redefine their attacks, the question is no longer who they like. It’s who they’re willing to pay for, and how far they dare to go.