Tottenham are now showing interest in a World Cup winger as they turn their attention to strengthening at the top end of the pitch. Spurs have spent much of the summer strengthening the defence and midfield, with a number of top options snapped up, including Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Jan Paul van Hecke.
Robert De Zerbi will be delighted with the new options he has, with his squad having clearly been upgraded, but there is more work still to do. Some players will likely leave, including Cristian Romero and Guglielmo Vicario, but there will also be more new signings, with a new winger appearing to be the main priority.
Tottenham now considering World Cup winger Schjelderup
Tottenham are now said to be considering a deal to sign Norway winger Andreas Schjelderup, who impressed at the World Cup despite having been a toss-up in terms of his selection for the Norway World Cup squad. The winger notably scored against England in the quarter-final.
Shjelderup landed a move to Benfica back in 2023 and went on to land a starting role in 2024 after a loan spell back at his old club in Norway. The winger scored seven and assisted six in 28 league appearances last season, playing an important role in José Mourinho's Benfica, who didn't lose all season in the league, though they fell short of the league title.
Tottenham are now said to be interested in the 22-year-old, with journalist Pete O'Rourke reporting on the Transfer Insider podcast: "Schjelderup’s World Cup performances have caught the eye of some of the biggest clubs across Europe, including multiple Premier League clubs.
"I know Tottenham have shown an interest and are in the market for a new left-sided winger or forward, so Schjelderup definitely ticks a lot of boxes for them in that respect, as that is where he plays for Norway and Benfica. He had a very good World Cup."
Mourinho convinced by Schjelderup
Early in Mourinho's Benfica spell, he was critical of Schjelderup, who was struggling to live up to the intensity. He said: "Schjelderup is Schjelderup - he struggles for 90 minutes, he struggles with intensity and the sacrifice of transitions,"
Towards the end of this season, Mourinho sang a very different tune. 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."