Andreas Schjelderup, dubbed the “next Martin Odegaard,” has reportedly turned down a second chance to join Liverpool.
Schjelderup, 18, is one of Norway’s most promising young midfielders, having appeared in more than 50 games for Nordsjaelland since joining from Bodo/Glimt in July 2020. He’s now set for another move, but it’s not to Merseyside.
Schjelderup, a self-confessed Liverpool fan, is expected to join Benfica in January instead. The youngster initially turned down a move to Anfield in the summer of 2020, when PSG and Bayern Munich were also interested.
According to TV2, Benfica’s recruitment team will arrive in Copenhagen soon to sign Schjelderup for NOK 150 million (£12.4 million). That will make him the second most expensive Norwegian teenager in history, trailing only Erling Haaland, who joined Borussia Dortmund from Red Bull Salzburg for £17 million three years ago.
Benfica is expected to offer Schjelderup a five-and-a-half-year contract with a large transfer release clause. Personal terms have yet to be finalized, but the player is said to believe Benfica is the ideal place for him to continue his development.
The Portuguese giants, who currently lead the Primeira Liga by six points, have a reputation for developing young players. Benfica has produced players such as Enzo Fernandez, Darwin Nunez, Ruben Dias, and Victor Lindelof in recent years.
Schjelderup appears to be planning to follow in their footsteps in the coming years. The teenager has yet to make his senior debut for Norway, but he is frequently compared to Odegaard, who famously made his international debut in August 2014 as a 15-year-old.
Odegaard joined Real Madrid in January of the following year, and there were concerns he wouldn’t live up to the hype after failing to secure a spot in the Spanish capital and being loaned out. Nonetheless, the 24-year-old is now impressing as Arsenal and Norway’s captain.
When Schjelderup joined Nordsjaelland two and a half years ago, he revealed Liverpool’s interest in him. “I visited Ajax four times, PSV four times, Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, Fulham, Atalanta, and Bayern Munich,” he told reporters, according to The Express.
“They [Nordsjaelland] have demonstrated that they give young players a chance and invest heavily in player development.”
During Nordsjaelland’s goalless draw with Midtjylland in November, Liverpool sent a scout to take another look at Schjelderup. According to Ekstra Bladet, Ajax, Atalanta, and Bayer Leverkusen were all interested in the youngster.
Liverpool are looking for a new central midfielder but are unlikely to sign anyone in January. It is believed that they are interested in Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham and Benfica’s Fernandez, as well as Brighton’s Moises Caicedo and Alex Mac Allister.