Tottenham Hotspur have received an encouraging development in their pursuit of Benfica winger Andreas Schjelderup, with the Portuguese club now prepared to listen to offers starting above €40m (£34.5m) after failing to agree a new contract with the 22-year-old.
According to A Bola, as relayed by Sport Witness, Benfica offered Schjelderup a total package of €18m (£15.5m) over five years – an offer the Norwegian has declined. He has informed the club he has no intention of renewing his current deal, leaving Benfica with two years left on his contract and limited leverage.
Benfica now acknowledge this summer may be their last realistic opportunity to command serious money for the winger, setting an entry point of €40m-plus. Tottenham are named as a possible destination, though Spurs Web reports that other Premier League and Serie A clubs are also showing interest.
Why Schjelderup Matters to Spurs Right Now
The timing is not coincidental. Tottenham’s pursuit of Manchester City’s Savinho has been complicated by AC Milan entering the race with a planned loan offer featuring a mandatory buyout clause worth €50-55m (£43-47m), per The Sun. TEAMtalk reports that Tottenham remain at the front of the queue for the £60m-rated Brazilian, with negotiations having accelerated in recent weeks.
The issue is Manchester City’s green light. Fabrizio Romano has indicated Spurs are waiting on City to confirm Savinho can leave – likely contingent on City sourcing a replacement – and that delay has clearly prompted Tottenham to do their groundwork on alternatives. Schjelderup has been on Spurs’ radar since his standout performances for Norway at the World Cup, and a €40m entry point is considerably more manageable than the figures being discussed earlier in the summer.
Roberto De Zerbi’s Attacking Demands
De Zerbi has been direct about where the squad needs strengthening. After spending close to £230m reinforcing defence and midfield, he confirmed the attack is the next priority – wanting, in his words, another couple of players at the first level. Savinho fits that profile, and it appears Schjelderup does too.
Whether Spurs are genuinely pursuing Schjelderup as a parallel target or simply keeping options warm while the Savinho situation resolves itself is unclear. What is clear is that Benfica’s position has softened meaningfully, and Tottenham will not have missed it.
