Tottenham Hotspur are eyeing a deal for Andreas Schjelderup, but their pursuit of the Norway international has become a lot harder after his performances at the World Cup.
Spurs are looking to add multiple wingers to their squad before the start of a new season, and one of the players in their sights is a 22-year-old who just showcased his ability on the biggest stage.
It first emerged a few weeks ago that Tottenham had registered an interest in Benfica’s Schjelderup, who was one of Norway’s standout players at the World Cup.
The winger scored once and provided three assists for his country as the Scandinavian side made it all the way to the quarterfinal.
Tottenham battling two Premier League rivals for Andreas Schjelderup
A new report in Correio da Manha (as relayed by Sport Witness) has now revealed that Tottenham are not the only Premier League club eyeing a move for the Benfica star.
The report reveals that Roberto De Zerbi’s side have been joined in the race for the winger by Chelsea and Liverpool, who have both explored a deal for Schjelderup.
There is further bad news for Spurs, as Benfica’s asking price for the winger has now gone up after his impressive displays in North America.
While the Portuguese club were demanding €40m (£34.4m) for the Norwegian winger earlier this summer, they will now only start negotiations at €50m (£43m).
Benfica’s contract offer rejected by Schjelderup
Meanwhile, another report in A Bola (via Sport Witness) says that new boss Marco Silva considers Schjelderup an important part of his plans.
However, the new Benfica boss needs funds to strengthen multiple positions, and the Portuguese club could thus be forced to cash in on the Norway international to fund moves for their transfer targets.
Additionally, the report reveals that Benfica offered the winger a three-year extension, but the player turned that down as he has a long-standing desire to play in the Premier League.