Marco Silva has been blocking Andreas Schjelderup’s move away from Benfica this summer, with Tottenham pushing to add him to their squad in this transfer window.
Silva loves working with Norwegian players and had at least two of them in his squad when he was the manager of Fulham in the Premier League, so Schjelderup should not worry about his game time. The manager sees him as a top player and certainly wants to have him in his squad this term, making that clear to the attacker as he continues to block his departure from the club.
Schjelderup would love to change teams, and some reports even suggest he will push for the transfer to happen this summer, so Silva has to be strong in his bid to keep the attacker.
Silva wants Schjelderup to stay
The manager has had a look at all the players at the club and believes the Norway star is special, revealing why he wants to keep him in his squad this season.
As quoted by Sporten, Silva said:
“He has very specific qualities to face low blocks and is able to do something different against teams that defend well. We will face a lot of them in the Portuguese league. Andreas is a player I believe in a lot, and he is different.”
Silva’s comments make it clear that he values Schjelderup’s ability to offer something different in attack. The Benfica manager believes the Norwegian can be particularly useful against teams that defend deeply, which is expected to be important in the Portuguese league.
Tottenham face a battle
Tottenham’s interest means Benfica could face a difficult decision if Schjelderup continues pushing for a move. The attacker wants to change teams, but Silva’s desire to keep him could make the transfer difficult to complete.
For now, Silva appears determined to retain the Norway star and use his qualities during the season. Schjelderup’s ability to deal with low blocks could give Benfica another attacking option, while Silva’s confidence in the player could also provide him with opportunities to establish himself in the squad.
Tottenham will therefore have to work hard if they want to convince Benfica to allow Schjelderup to leave this summer, particularly with Silva making his desire to keep the attacker clear.
