Liverpool and Tottenham Target Andreas Schjelderup as Clubs Reshape Attacks

Liverpool and Tottenham have fixed their gaze on another young wide forward, with Norway World Cup winger Andreas Schjelderup emerging as the latest name on both clubs’ recruitment lists. At the same time, noise around Liverpool’s pursuit of RB Leipzig star Yan Diomande has been sharply corrected in Germany.

Liverpool’s wide rebuild gathers pace

Liverpool have already fired the starting gun on a reshaped attack by beating Newcastle United to Victor Munoz in a €40million (£34.5m) deal. The Spaniard arrives to push Cody Gakpo on the left and ensure there is no drop-off in that channel.

They need it. Mohamed Salah has walked away on a free, leaving a gaping hole in goals, assists and sheer presence. Gakpo may also be pulled inside to help cover at centre-forward, with Alexander Isak needing support until Hugo Ekitike returns from an Achilles injury.

So the hunt for more width goes on.

Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb report that, alongside their primary focus on Diomande, Liverpool are tracking Benfica’s Schjelderup. Tottenham are doing the same. Both Premier League clubs are “following” the 22-year-old closely, with Atletico Madrid, AC Milan and Como also in the queue.

Schjelderup’s stock soars in Portugal and on the world stage

Schjelderup has enjoyed a breakout year. He featured in Norway’s first two World Cup group matches, a natural extension of an eye-catching campaign with Benfica.

Under Jose Mourinho, Benfica went unbeaten in the Primeira Liga but still fell short of the title. Within that curious season, Schjelderup carved out his own momentum: 10 goals and seven assists in 43 games, operating primarily from the left and drifting into dangerous pockets.

Benfica paid €14m to bring him in. That figure now looks like a bargain. Reports in Italy suggest his value has climbed to “more than double”, with a €30m (£26m) fee floated. Portuguese outlet Record, though, set a far firmer line: Benfica will only entertain offers from €40m upwards.

Record also claim Spurs have “burst” into the race, intensifying the battle with Liverpool and underlining how quickly Schjelderup’s name has moved from prospect to priority.

Diomande: rumour checked, reality bites

While Schjelderup gathers admirers, Diomande remains Liverpool’s main prize.

On Thursday, speculation surged that Liverpool had cranked up their bid for the Leipzig winger from an initial €100m (£86m) to a staggering €116m (£100m). The story travelled fast.

It did not last long.

Sky Germany’s Philipp Hinze moved quickly to knock it down, describing the talk of a second offer as “not true” and stating that “there has not yet been a second offer”. Behind the scenes, Liverpool officials are still wrestling with the numbers and the risk, debating whether to go back in at all.

If they do, the new proposal is expected to land between €116m and €120m (up to £104m). That kind of money would force Leipzig to pause and think. It still might not crack them.

Leipzig’s stance remains brutal and clear. As revealed on June 19, they are holding out for a Bundesliga-record €148m (£128m), determined to keep Diomande for at least one more season unless someone pays a truly era-defining fee.

Why Liverpool still lean Diomande over Schjelderup

Even with Schjelderup’s rise and a potential €40m price tag, Liverpool’s preference is unchanged. Diomande is the one they really want.

The logic is straightforward. Schjelderup operates mainly from the left, the very area Munoz has just strengthened. He offers goals, creativity and upside, but he overlaps heavily with what Liverpool have just bought.

Diomande is different. He is a genuine two-flank weapon, equally dangerous on either side, capable of stretching defences and reshaping an attack almost on his own. In a post-Salah landscape, that kind of versatility and threat is exactly what Liverpool’s hierarchy crave.

The question now is how far they are willing to go. Do they blink first at Leipzig’s towering valuation, or pivot to a more attainable option like Schjelderup and risk watching Diomande light up another club’s front line?

The summer window will answer that, but the direction of Liverpool’s new era out wide may be defined by this one decision.