Sports

Tottenham Stunned by £68m Asking Price for Andreas Schjelderup

Published

5 hours ago

July 21, 2026

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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.”

Sports

Chelsea’s £170m Rogers Deal and Enzo Decision | Newsletter

Published

30 seconds ago

July 21, 2026

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Ben Jacobs breaks down Morgan Rogers’ £170m Chelsea deal, pending official confirmation, and Arsenal’s response after missing out on the midfielder.

Sports

English Referee Anthony Taylor Releases Statement as He Retires After 2026 World Cup

Published

23 minutes ago

July 21, 2026

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Premier League referee Anthony Taylor has called time on his career following the 2026 World Cup and believes “the time is right to step aside.”

Taylor was one of the English officials selected for the World Cup, and his final game was Spain’s 1-0 win against Portugal in the Round of 16. He has retired from officiating international football, as well as club football.
After 16 seasons refereeing in the Premier League, the 47-year-old is moving onto the next chapter of his career. He is one of English football’s most respected officials and has been handed some of the biggest matches in the sport’s history.

Anthony Taylor Announces Retirement

Premier League referee Anthony Taylor
Taylor called the shots in Real Madrid’s win over Borussia Dortmund in the 2024 UEFA Champions League final. He has spent two decades in the game, overseeing 831 matches.
The Wythenshawe-born referee announced his decision on Tuesday (July 21st), saying in a statement, “Officiating at the elite level has been an immense privilege, but the pressure is intense, and the scrutiny is constant. The time is now right to step aside and look forward to transitioning to the next chapter of my career.”
He added: “I want to express my deepest gratitude to my two assistants Gary and Adam, my refereeing colleagues and everyone connected with the game for all their support over the years. Most importantly, I want to thank my family and friends for their unwavering support throughout the immense sacrifices this career has demanded.”
Taylor began his career refereeing local leagues before taking to the Northern Premier League in 2002. He made the transition into full-time elite refereeing in 2012, having previously worked as a prison officer at HMP Styal.
His Premier League debut came in February 2010, and he earned a permanent promotion to Select Group 1 ahead of the 2010-11 campaign. In 2017, he made history when he became the first referee to call two FA Cup finals since Arthur Kingscott.
Taylor became a FIFA referee in 2013 and has officiated several famous matches, including the UEFA Nations League final in 2021. He was heralded for his composure during Denmark’s Euro 2020 clash with Finland after Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch.

Sports

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Wanted to ‘Headbutt’ Leandro Paredes

Published

46 minutes ago

July 21, 2026

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Over the course of the 2026 World Cup, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has made a fair few headlines with his punditry. His comments after the final between Spain and Argentina are perhaps the most explosive yet.

While the game was somewhat short of quality, it wasn’t lacking for drama. First, Enzo Fernandez got himself a red card just before the game went to extra time; Lionel Messi then tried to get Marc Cucurella sent off; before Ferran Torres scored the only goal of the game to win the tournament.

In defeat, Argentina were less than gracious losers, with Leandro Paredes, Nahuel Molina, Thiago Almada and assistant coach Roberto Ayala among the angriest. Their poor behaviour has sparked a firm response from Ibrahimovic, who slammed one man in particular.

Ibrahimovic Tears Into Argentina Midfielder

TV broadcasters showed replays of Paredes targeting Eric Garcia, grabbing the former Manchester City man by the throat, before clashing with Gavi. The Argentine appeared to throw a punch at the Barcelona midfielder and toss him to the floor before Lionel Scaloni and others rushed over to break up the fight.

Ibrahimovic, however, was actually critical of the rest of the Spain squad who didn’t rush in to respond more violently to Paredes’ actions. He claimed he would have ‘headbutted’ the 32-year-old if he was on the pitch, explaining:

“Paredes can be happy there was no player like me on the pitch. If I had been there, I would have headbutted him and been sent off. It is unprofessional behaviour from him.

“I don’t know what the Spanish players are doing? They are just watching another player hit their team-mate.”

It’s trademark fiery analysis from Ibrahimovic, but fans shouldn’t get used to it as the Swede announced his retirement from punditry duties soon after. Having worked for Fox Sports across the World Cup, he explained:

“I have talked a lot during the past month and a half, but these will be my last words. Alexi [Lalas], Thierry [Henry], Rebecca [Lowe], thank you. It has been my pleasure to share this studio with you. I also thank Fox, the United States and everyone who watched. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. This is my last visit to the studio. For me, this was the first and last time.”

Paredes Faces FIFA Punishment Despite Avoiding Red Card

Argentina's Leandro Paredes and Thiago Almada clash with Spain's Gavi after the match

The incredible thing is that although Paredes appeared to rightfully be sent off for his behaviour, FIFA have since claimed that no red card was actually given. Reports claim that, contrary to reports, no disciplinary action was taken against the player at the time.

As such, despite his obvious head loss, the Argentine did not become the seventh player to be shown a red card in a World Cup final. That does not mean he will avoid retrospective disciplinary action, though, as FIFA have now begun their investigation.

Speaking for the first time on social media after the event, Paredes avoided talking about the scrap and instead thanked Argentina fans for their support. He added: “Today, I write with a heavy heart, having been unable to bring our country the joy it so richly deserves – but with a chest full of pride for having given everything we had and for flying our flag at the very top once again!

“Thank you to everyone who was part of this national team—to this group of players who gave their all to represent this jersey, fighting for it until the very last second of every match! It was an honour to be part of the best Argentine national team in history.”