Tottenham are said to have made contact over the signing of a winger, but they will have been left stunned by the asking price they have received. Spurs have already spent a record total this summer, splashing out more than £230million, which has largely been made up of the Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Jan Paul van Hecke deals.
But there is more to come from Spurs, who still want to improve their attack this summer, having spent much of the summer improving their defence and midfield. A winger signing is now the North London club's priority, and they have reportedly enquired about a World Cup star.
Spurs left stunned by Andreas Schjelderup asking price
Norway standout Andreas Schjelderup has begun to attract interest after an impressive World Cup and equally impressive club season with Benfica. The Lisbon giants, who were led by José Mourinho last season, went unbeaten despite missing out on the league title, and Schjelderup scored 10 and assisted seven times across all competitions, and that form saw him land a World Cup spot with Norway, which he was far from sure to get. The 22-year-old reached the quarter-final with Norway, and he notably scored the opening goal against England.
According to TeamTalk, Tottenham have now reached out to Benfica to find out if they can sign Schjelderup this summer, but they have received a bold asking price. It's claimed Benfica want at least £68million for their young star, who has two years remaining on his current deal.
Schjelderup is said to want a Premier League move, but clubs are unlikely to pay £68million for such a young and relatively unproven players, meaning a deal next year, when the winger will only have one year remaining on his deal, is a more likely time for a deal.
Mourinho's praise for Schjelderup turnaround
Now former Benfica boss Mourinho was very critical of Schjelderup early on, claiming he couldn't keep up with the physical demands of playing at Benfica's level. But come the end of the season, Mourinho acknowledged how the winger had turned things around.
"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," he said.
"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."