Jose Mourinho now holds a completely different view of Andreas Schjelderup, the Benfica winger that Liverpool are reportedly monitoring at the World Cup. The Real Madrid boss, who previously criticised the 22-year-old's intensity and defensive work rate, has since hailed his transformation into a 'great, great, great talent'. According to Tutto Mercato, Liverpool are among several European clubs tracking Schjelderup's progress, with Tottenham, Atletico Madrid, AC Milan and Como also said to be interested.
Mourinho's Initial Criticism and Subsequent Praise
When Mourinho took charge at Benfica in September, he was blunt about Schjelderup's shortcomings. 'Schjelderup is Schjelderup - he struggles for 90 minutes, he struggles with intensity and the sacrifice of transitions,' the Portuguese coach said at the start of his tenure. The Norwegian winger saw limited minutes until the turn of the year, when he began to feature more regularly. He made 20 starts in Liga Portugal out of a possible 34, contributing seven goals and six assists, and ended the campaign with 43 appearances across all competitions.
By the final game of the season, Mourinho had completely changed his tune. During a press conference ahead of the match against Estoril in May, he said: 'Look, I spoke to him yesterday or the day before and said that he had a lot of reasons to be very proud of himself. Comparing the Schjelderup of months ago with the Schjelderup of today is impossible. There's no point of comparison, the only thing that's the same is that boyish face... He's still unshaven, his face is the same, that baby face is the same. Neither from a physical point of view, nor from a tactical point of view, nor from a mental point of view, there's nothing comparable. I'd say that this kid, if he continues to develop in this way, will surely be a real talent and I'd say a great, great, great talent.'
Liverpool's Long-Standing Interest
This is not the first time Schjelderup has been linked with Liverpool. The winger previously revealed that he turned down a move to Anfield in 2020, when he was just 16 years old. At the time, he opted to join FC Nordsjaelland instead, despite interest from Bayern Munich and Juventus as well. Speaking about his decision, Schjelderup said: 'Of course, it was a bit hard (turning down Liverpool), because when you grow up, you watch the big names and then you hear that they want you, so your head starts to spin. But I got a lot of help from my father and agents, who helped me make the right decision. It hurt a little bit for me and my dad in our hearts (not to join Liverpool), but the move here was instead of going to an academy at under-19 or under-17 level. It felt like this step in the ocean was the right one for me. I was in the under-19s team when I got started, but I knew when I was ready that I could take a step up to the first team. But at the club, they said they didn’t expect me to get there this quick! I planned to do it sooner than they thought, and my plan worked. Of course, maybe I can go to a big team in the future. In the long run, for me, this was the best step. When I am ready, I will take the next step.'
World Cup Performances and Contract Details
At the World Cup, Schjelderup has been playing alongside Erling Haaland for Norway. His contributions have come from the bench in Norway's wins over Iraq and Senegal. The 3-2 victory over Senegal in the early hours of Tuesday secured a place in the round of 32, with Haaland scoring twice. Schjelderup is under contract at Benfica until the summer of 2028, meaning any potential suitor would likely have to pay a significant fee to secure his services.
