Jose Mourinho’s latest view of Andreas Schjelderup is a long way from his first one. After saying the winger “struggles for 90 minutes” and with “the sacrifice of transitions”, Mourinho later said comparing the Schjelderup of months ago with the player he saw in May was “impossible”. That kind of turnaround tends to get attention, and it has come as interest in the Benfica winger has grown.
Mourinho's change of view
At a press conference before Benfica’s final match of the Portuguese season against Estoril, Mourinho said Schjelderup had every reason to be proud of himself. He added that there was “no point of comparison” between the earlier version of the player and the one sitting in front of him, before calling him a “great, great, great talent”.
That is a sharper assessment than the one he gave earlier in the season, when he questioned Schjelderup’s intensity and work without the ball. For a 20-year-old winger, that sort of public shift matters because it suggests the development has been visible inside the squad, not just from the outside.
Why the transfer noise has grown
Schjelderup’s own numbers help explain why clubs are watching. He produced 10 goals and seven assists in 43 appearances for Benfica last season across all competitions. A separate report put Benfica’s valuation at approximately €30 million, while Liverpool, AC Milan, Como, Tottenham and Atlético Madrid were all named as interested clubs.
The Liverpool link has an extra layer because Schjelderup admitted turning them down in 2020, when he was 16. He said it “hurt a little bit” for him and his father, but that he believed choosing FC Nordsjaelland was the right move for his development. He also said he could go to a big team in the future, which is hardly a firm commitment to Benfica staying relaxed about the situation.
There is also the simple fact that his rise has been public. Last season’s workload, 43 appearances, and a direct contribution total of 17 goals and assists show a player who was already doing more than just flashing potential. Mourinho’s praise, the reported valuation and the suitors list all point in the same direction. Schjelderup has gone from a name some coaches questioned to one big European clubs are clearly tracking, and Benfica will get more of the same if he keeps producing through the next season.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →