Mourinho reverses verdict on Schjelderup as Liverpool track Benfica winger at World Cup

Jose Mourinho has performed a complete about-turn on Andreas Schjelderup, declaring the Benfica winger ‘nothing comparable’ to the player he inherited in Lisbon — as Liverpool are reported to be among several European clubs tracking the 22-year-old Norwegian at the World Cup.

According to Tutto Mercato, Liverpool have joined Tottenham, Atletico Madrid, AC Milan and Como in monitoring Schjelderup’s progress, with his performances for Norway at the tournament drawing fresh attention from across the continent.

Mourinho, now manager of Real Madrid, was far from complimentary when he first assessed Schjelderup after taking charge at Benfica in September. “Schjelderup is Schjelderup — he struggles for 90 minutes, he struggles with intensity and the sacrifice of transitions,” the Portuguese coach said early in his tenure.

By the end of the Portuguese season, however, Mourinho’s view had shifted entirely. Speaking ahead of Benfica’s final league fixture 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… 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.”

Schjelderup’s development at Benfica supports the praise. After limited opportunities in the first half of the season, he began featuring more regularly from the start in the new year, finishing the campaign with 20 Liga Portugal starts from a possible 34, contributing seven goals and six assists, and making 43 appearances across all competitions.

This is not the first time Liverpool have been linked with the winger. Schjelderup previously revealed he turned down a move to Anfield at the age of 16, opting instead to sign for FC Nordsjaelland in July 2020. Bayern Munich and Juventus had also expressed interest at the time, with the youngster spending trial periods at both clubs before making his decision.

Now five years on and a considerably more developed player, Schjelderup’s World Cup performances appear to have reignited interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs — Liverpool among them.