Liverpool and Tottenham Target Andreas Schjelderup
Liverpool and Tottenham are circling one of Norway’s brightest World Cup performers, with Benfica winger Andreas Schjelderup emerging as a live option for both Premier League clubs, even as Liverpool wrestle with the far more expensive pursuit of RB Leipzig star Yan Diomande.
Liverpool rebuild the wings after Salah
The scale of Liverpool’s rebuild out wide became clear the moment Mohamed Salah walked away on a free. One of the great modern Anfield careers is over; the hole he leaves is enormous.
The first response was decisive. Liverpool beat Newcastle United to Victor Munoz, striking a €40m (£34.5m) deal to bring in the left-sided winger and hand Cody Gakpo serious competition on that flank. Munoz strengthens an area already occupied, but the picture across the front line remains fluid.
Gakpo may be needed through the middle, helping to shoulder the centre-forward burden with Alexander Isak while Hugo Ekitike recovers from an Achilles injury. That only sharpens the need for more wide options, not fewer.
So Liverpool keep hunting.
Schjelderup on the radar – and not just at Anfield
Into that context steps Andreas Schjelderup, the 22‑year‑old who has just showcased his talent on the World Cup stage with Norway, starting their first two group games after a standout season at Benfica.
Under Jose Mourinho, Benfica went unbeaten in the Primeira Liga yet still contrived to miss out on the title. Schjelderup’s numbers cut through the frustration: 10 goals and seven assists in 43 games, a consistent threat from the left who drifted into central areas with purpose.
Benfica paid €14m to bring him in. That now looks like a bargain. Reports in Italy suggest his value has already climbed to “more than double,” with a €30m (£26m) fee floated. Portuguese outlet Record, though, has drawn a firmer line in the sand: Benfica will only listen from €40m upwards.
At that price, the queue is forming.
Liverpool and Tottenham are both described as “following” Schjelderup closely ahead of possible talks. Spurs have “burst into the race,” according to Record, joining Liverpool in a chase that also features Atletico Madrid, AC Milan and ambitious Serie A newcomers Como. For a player who has just turned 22, that is heavyweight attention.
Diomande: the real prize, the real problem
Yet for Liverpool, Schjelderup is not the main event. He is an option. Yan Diomande remains the obsession.
The RB Leipzig winger, capable of operating with equal menace on either flank, fits the modern Liverpool blueprint almost perfectly. He offers what Schjelderup does not: true two-sided flexibility, a weapon who can plug the Salah gap on the right or switch flanks without dropping his level.
That kind of versatility comes at a price, and Leipzig are not shy about naming it.
Talk on Thursday suggested Liverpool had already pushed their bid up to a staggering €116m (£100m) after seeing an opening €100m (£86m) offer knocked back. It sounded like the sort of escalation that forces a decision.
It was also wrong.
Sky Germany’s Philipp Hinze moved quickly to kill the story, calling the reports “not true” and making it clear there has been no second offer from Anfield. Inside Liverpool, the debate is still raging over whether to go back in, and how hard.
Figures of €116–120m (up to £104m) are on the table as internal discussion points. An offer at the top end of that range would test Leipzig’s resolve. It still might not crack it.
Leipzig’s stance is brutal and simple. As revealed on June 19, they are holding out for a Bundesliga-record €148m (£128m). They want Diomande to stay for at least one more season, and the price tag reflects that desire as much as his talent.
One big swing, or a different route?
Liverpool’s preference is clear. Given the choice, they would rather land Diomande than Schjelderup, even if the Norwegian could be prised away for around a third of the fee. Munoz has already stiffened the left wing; another left‑sider is a luxury. Diomande, with his ability to dominate both sides, is a potential cornerstone.
So the question now is not whether Liverpool rate Schjelderup. They do. The question is how far they are willing to go for Diomande, and at what point the financial reality forces them to pivot.
Tottenham, sensing opportunity, have stepped into the Schjelderup race with conviction. If Liverpool decide their money is better spent chasing one blockbuster deal, Spurs could be the ones to move quickly for the Benfica man and steal a march.
Liverpool stand at a fork in the road: push Leipzig towards that record fee for Diomande, or accept the ceiling, turn, and reshape the plan with players like Schjelderup instead.
One decisive bid will reveal which path they choose.
