Tottenham need to be wary as Chelsea or Liverpool could snatch signing

Tottenham have already made contact with Benfica over Andreas Schjelderup. However, fresh reports from Portugal suggest they may need to move carefully. Otherwise, they could risk Chelsea or Liverpool entering the race in a more decisive way.

Portugal’s The Game reports Spurs have approached Benfica to establish the conditions of a potential transfer for the Norwegian winger, who has emerged as one of Roberto De Zerbi’s priority attacking targets.

That follows claims in England earlier this week. Tottenham are reportedly prepared to step up their pursuit after Schjelderup’s outstanding end to last season and impressive World Cup campaign.

Premier League competition remains

Tottenham’s interest is no longer a secret, but O Jogo says Chelsea and Liverpool continue to monitor the Benfica attacker as well.

The 22-year-old finished last season with 10 goals and seven assists under José Mourinho. He then carried that form into the World Cup, where he registered one goal and three assists for Norway.

Those performances have only strengthened Benfica’s negotiating position.

Chelsea have been repeatedly credited with interest in recent Portuguese reports. Meanwhile, Liverpool have also remained in the picture despite Tottenham appearing to be the most advanced Premier League club.

That means Spurs cannot assume they have a clear path to completing a deal.

Benfica’s demands continue to rise

The biggest obstacle may now be the asking price. Benfica had initially been prepared to discuss offers in the region of €40m (£34.4m), before reports suggested that valuation had risen to around €50m (£43m) following Schjelderup’s World Cup displays.

O Jogo now goes a step further. According to the Portuguese newspaper, information emerging from England indicates Benfica’s demands could even climb towards €80m (£68.8m). In fact, the recent fee Barcelona paid Newcastle United for Anthony Gordon is now serving as a reference point in the market.

Whether Benfica genuinely expect to receive that figure remains to be seen. Nonetheless, it illustrates how highly they now value the Norwegian international.

Spurs already know the situation

Schjelderup has two years remaining on his contract and a €100m (£86m) release clause.

Benfica are still trying to persuade him to sign a new deal until 2031. They have left a renewal proposal worth €18m (£15.5m) over the course of the contract on the table.

However, previous reports in Portugal have indicated the winger is seriously considering a move away from Lisbon this summer.

Tottenham have already taken the first step by opening discussions with Benfica. However, with Chelsea and Liverpool still hovering and Benfica’s valuation continuing to climb, De Zerbi’s side may discover that moving first is no guarantee of getting the deal over the line.

🇵🇹 Andreas Schjelderup | Tottenham willing to offer €40m ➡️ Spurs may need to add €10m to that https://t.co/gpgefcwXa9 #thfc #coys

— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) July 20, 2026