Andreas Schjelderup remains a Benfica player after the January transfer window, and it’s thanks to Jose Mourinho.
The highly-rated Norwegian winger was in demand ahead of the World Cup and was first chased by Club Brugge who even sent a delegation to Lisbon to negotiate.
They headed back disappointed, though, and despite confidence a deal could be done, Mourinho was successful in blocking it.
Marca now add that Real Mallorca also got involved with a last minute bid, which was again blocked by the coach.
Both Schjelderup and Gianluca Prestianni have gone from being saleable assets to Mourinho‘s dependables in recent weeks.
Both starred in the stunning 4-2 win over Real Madrid, with Schjelderup even scoring twice.
Discussing the player, Mourinho said: “There’s a lot of talk about him, but he’s played all four of the last matches.
“I believe this Andreas is better than I expected. He’s more like what I’m looking for, and not everyone can play.
“This is a guy who still has a long way to go. It’s one thing to be for sale, but another to get offers for him.
“You don’t get to the World Cup by going to a weaker league and a weaker team. If his goal is to get to the World Cup, it’s with matches like these.”
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