Liverpool and Tottenham Target Andreas Schjelderup as Transfer Market Heats Up

Liverpool and Tottenham are circling one of Norway’s brightest World Cup performers, with Benfica winger Andreas Schjelderup emerging as a live option in a market increasingly shaped by eye-watering numbers and hard lines in negotiation rooms.

At Anfield, the rebuild out wide is already under way. Victor Munoz has arrived from Newcastle United in a €40million (£34.5m) deal, a move that gives Cody Gakpo direct competition and cover on the left. It also underlines the scale of the task facing Liverpool after Mohamed Salah’s departure on a free transfer ripped a decade-defining presence out of their forward line.

For now, Gakpo may be asked to plug another gap. With Hugo Ekitike sidelined by an Achilles injury, the Dutchman could be called on to support Alexander Isak through the middle, stretching Liverpool’s resources across the front line and sharpening the need for further reinforcements in the wide areas.

That is where Schjelderup enters the picture. According to reports, Liverpool and Tottenham are both tracking the 22-year-old, who has forced his way into the frame after a standout season at Benfica and a World Cup campaign that saw him feature in Norway’s first two group games. Atletico Madrid, AC Milan and Como are also keeping tabs, turning his situation into a genuine European tug-of-war.

Schjelderup’s numbers last season explain the interest. Ten goals and seven assists in 43 appearances for Benfica, in a campaign where Jose Mourinho’s side went unbeaten in the Primeira Liga yet still fell short of the title. He operated primarily from the left, cutting in with purpose and end product, and did it consistently enough to move from promising prospect to serious asset.

Benfica paid €14m to bring him in. That figure now looks like a bargain. Initial suggestions placed his current value at around €30m (£26m), more than double the original outlay, but the mood in Lisbon is far more bullish. Portuguese outlet Record report that Benfica will not even pick up the phone for less than €40m, and that Tottenham have “burst into the race” alongside Liverpool, a stance mirrored by Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb.

The numbers for Schjelderup, though, are modest compared to the saga unfolding around Liverpool’s primary target, Yan Diomande of RB Leipzig.

Talk on Thursday claimed Liverpool had cranked up their offer for Diomande to €116m (£100m) after seeing an opening bid of €100m (£86m) knocked back. It would have been a statement of intent, even by Premier League standards. But the story did not last long. Sky Germany reporter Philipp Hinze moved quickly to shut it down, calling the claims “not true” and making it clear there has been no second offer from Anfield.

Inside Liverpool, the debate continues. Club officials are weighing up whether to return with an improved proposal in the €116–120m bracket, potentially rising to around £104m. A bid at the top end of that range would force Leipzig to think hard. It still might not be enough.

Leipzig’s stance is well known. As revealed on June 19, the Bundesliga side are holding out for a record fee of €148m (£128m) if they are to part with Diomande now. They want him to stay at least one more year, to anchor their ambitions and to ensure that, if he does go, it is for a sum that resets the market.

Liverpool’s preference remains clear. For all the intrigue around Schjelderup, Diomande is the one they truly want. The distinction is tactical as much as financial. Schjelderup is, by trade, a left winger – the very role Munoz has just strengthened. Diomande is a different proposition entirely: a wide forward equally comfortable and dangerous on either flank, the kind of flexible, high-end attacker who can reshape a forward line almost on his own.

So Liverpool stand at a familiar crossroads in the modern game. Pay close to €40m for a rising Norwegian who fits a specific role, or push past €120m and into record territory for a player they believe can carry the attack for years. Tottenham, lurking with intent around Schjelderup, add another layer of pressure.

The numbers are huge, the margins tight, and the clock is ticking on a summer that will define Liverpool’s next era in the wide areas.