Andreas Schjelderup: Rising Star at Benfica
Andreas Schjelderup is having the kind of tournament that changes a career.
The Benfica winger has gone from promising prospect to one of the most in-demand young attackers in Europe, his World Cup surge with Norway dragging a queue of heavyweight clubs to his door. Milan and Como are the latest Serie A sides to step into the race, joining Liverpool, Tottenham and Atletico Madrid in tracking the 22-year-old’s every touch.
Benfica, as ever, know exactly what they have.
According to reports in Italy, the Portuguese club now value Schjelderup at around €30 million – roughly double what Club Brugge were willing to put on the table in January. Back then, a deal looked close until a match-winning brace against Real Madrid changed everything. José Mourinho, recognising the shift in stakes, shut the door and pulled him off the market.
Parma felt that swing as well. The Serie B club pushed hard in the winter window, with CEO Federico Cherubini later admitting they came close to an agreement before the numbers, and Benfica’s stance, moved beyond them.
Those who have watched Schjelderup regularly understand why. A left-footed right winger who is just as comfortable switching to the opposite flank, he offers a modern wide forward’s toolkit: direct running, sharp movement inside, and end product to back it all up. Last season he delivered 10 goals and seven assists in 43 appearances across all competitions for Benfica, the kind of balanced return that makes recruitment departments sit up.
Then came the World Cup, and the spotlight sharpened.
Used from the bench, Schjelderup stepped into Norway’s group-stage clash with Senegal and tilted it. He helped turn a tense contest into a 3-2 win, a result that pushed Norway into the last 16 and pushed his name further up shortlists across the continent.
Italy has reacted quickly. Milan see a chance to add a high-ceiling wide player to a squad already built around young, dynamic attackers. Como, newly ambitious and backed by serious investment, are determined to show they can shop in the same aisle as the established elite. Both clubs have now registered serious interest.
They are not alone.
Barcelona have been linked as well, viewing Schjelderup as a potential option if they move on from Marcus Rashford. For a player still at the start of his career, that is rarefied company. Schjelderup, though, has been careful to keep a lid on the noise.
“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 Barcelona talk. It was a measured answer from a player whose market is anything but calm.
The reality is simple: his value is climbing, his list of suitors is growing, and Benfica hold the strongest hand at the table. When the first serious bids land, they will not be short of options – or leverage – in deciding where Europe’s latest breakout winger goes next.
