Andreas Schjelderup's World Cup Performance Sparks Transfer Interest

Andreas Schjelderup is having the kind of World Cup that changes a career.

The Benfica winger arrived at the tournament as a highly regarded prospect. He may leave it as one of the most chased attacking talents in Europe.

A breakout World Cup, a swelling market

Schjelderup, 22, has already turned heads in Portugal with a season that quietly built momentum: 10 goals and seven assists in 43 games for Benfica across all competitions. Those are not empty numbers. They belong to a left-footed right winger who drifts effortlessly between flanks, happy to hug the touchline or knife inside to punish defenders.

Then came the World Cup.

Thrown on from the bench, he helped Norway edge Senegal 3-2 and book their place in the last 16. It was the kind of cameo that scouts remember and sporting directors replay. The impact has been immediate. Interest that was warm is now hot.

Liverpool, Tottenham and Atletico Madrid had already been tracking him. Now, Milan and Como have stepped firmly into the race, with Serie A suddenly looking like a very real next step.

Benfica’s rising asset

Benfica know exactly what they have on their hands.

Reports in Italy suggest the Portuguese club value Schjelderup at around €30 million, roughly double what Club Brugge were willing to spend in January. Back then, the Belgian side thought they were close, only for the landscape to change dramatically.

A match-winning brace against Real Madrid shifted everything. José Mourinho, recognising how quickly the winger’s stock was climbing, moved to shut down any prospect of a cut-price exit. The message was clear: this was no longer a bargain opportunity. This was a premium asset.

Parma felt that sting as well. CEO Federico Cherubini has already admitted the club came close to a deal in the winter window, only to fall short before Benfica slammed the door.

Barcelona watching, Schjelderup staying calm

As the list of admirers grows, so do the rumours. Barcelona have been mentioned as another potential destination, with Schjelderup floated as a possible replacement for Marcus Rashford.

The player, though, is keeping 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 links. No grand declarations. No transfer flirtation. Just a measured response from a 22-year-old who knows the market is moving in his favour.

A bidding war in the making

From Lisbon to Milan, from Liverpool to Barcelona, the pattern is obvious. Elite clubs are circling a winger whose value is climbing with every decisive touch.

Benfica, experienced sellers at the top end of the market, hold all the cards. A long queue of suitors. A player under contract. A World Cup platform that is only amplifying his price.

When the real negotiations finally start, they will not be short of offers. Or leverage.