Andreas Schjelderup Shines at World Cup: Tottenham and Liverpool Interested

Tottenham Hotspur know exactly what they are looking for this summer: pace, end product, and a wide forward who can live with the chaos of the Premier League. In Andreas Schjelderup, they may just have found the profile – and the timing – they crave.

The Benfica winger has crashed into the wider consciousness over the past few months, but his World Cup cameo against Brazil on Sunday felt like a tipping point. Norway were drifting, Brazil were cruising, and then a 22-year-old left-sider came off the bench and ripped up the script.

Two assists for Erling Haaland in a 2-1 win over the five-time world champions. A statement, not a suggestion.

From Benfica bench to World Cup breakout

Schjelderup’s rise has not been straight-line smooth. For much of the first half of the season at Benfica, he watched on. Impact minutes, late cameos, long spells on the bench. Then came January and a jolt of attention: two goals against Real Madrid, the kind of performance that makes recruitment departments sit up and rewind the footage.

From there, his role changed. The left-sided winger forced his way into the starting XI and stayed there, finishing the Liga Portugal campaign with six goals and four assists in his final 14 league games. Those numbers are not just decoration; they speak to a player who adjusted quickly once trusted with responsibility.

He now has two years left on his Benfica deal. That is the danger zone for selling clubs, and the opportunity zone for buyers. A fee in the region of £35 million is being discussed – serious money, but not outlandish in a market where potential and production at 22 command a premium.

World Cup impact: a 45-minute audition

On the global stage, Schjelderup has had to be patient. He has started only one game at this World Cup, yet even in Norway’s 4-1 defeat to France he left with an assist and a reputation enhanced.

Against Brazil, he began on the bench again. Antonio Nusa had shown flashes in the first half but lacked the final ball. Stale Solbakken needed something sharper, more decisive. He turned to Schjelderup at half-time.

The change was immediate. Schjelderup drove at defenders, always on the half-turn, always looking to find Haaland early. He completed a successful dribble, made five ball recoveries and, crucially, never lost his composure. Twenty-five of his 27 passes found a teammate. He worked, too, chipping in with a tackle and an interception as Norway dug in late on.

Before the assists, there was a warning. A sharp snapshot forced Alisson into a smart save, the kind of instinctive strike that tells you a player is not overawed by the stage.

Then the breakthrough. Schjelderup burned past his marker down the left and hung a looping, teasing cross into the area. Haaland met it, as he so often does, and Brazil finally cracked.

The second assist was simpler in execution but no less important. A short pass into Haaland’s path, 23 yards from goal, and the Manchester City striker did the rest with a low finish into the bottom corner. Two key contributions, no fuss, maximum damage.

By the time Neymar’s late consolation arrived, the game already belonged to Norway’s No. 22 and their No. 9.

A winger built for the big stage

Clubs had noticed Schjelderup long before this World Cup, of course. At Nordsjaelland, where his senior career began, he shared a dressing room with Michael Essien, who saw the raw material up close.

“Schjelde has everything to take even bigger steps,” Essien told VG. “The sky’s the limit. He can play for the biggest clubs in the world. Personally, I’d like to see him at Real Madrid or another big club.

“I watch Benfica’s games when I can. When Andreas has the ball, he almost seems faster with it than without it. There aren’t many players like that. When he accelerates, it’s very difficult to stop him.”

That last line will resonate in recruitment meetings in north London and on Merseyside. Tottenham want more thrust and unpredictability in wide areas. Liverpool, always scanning for the next wave of attacking talent, have also been linked.

Schjelderup offers both clubs a blend that is hard to find: a left-sided winger who can beat his man, create, finish, and still contribute out of possession. His numbers in Portugal hint at a player learning to turn promise into production; his World Cup minutes show he can translate that into high-pressure environments.

Premier League move on the horizon?

Crucially, the player himself is understood to be keen on a move to the Premier League this summer. With his contract ticking down and his stock rising, the window feels perfectly framed for all parties.

For Tottenham, seeking “fresh blood in attack,” as the cliché goes, this would not be a vanity signing. It would be a calculated bet on upside, resale value, and a profile that fits an aggressive, front-foot style.

For Liverpool, always looking one step ahead in their forward line, Schjelderup represents an opportunity to secure a long-term option while he is still within financial reach.

The question now is not whether Europe has noticed Andreas Schjelderup. It clearly has. The question is which club will move first, and whether £35 million will look cheap once he brings that same fearless, driving energy to English football.