Barcelona preparing summer offer for Benfica forward after successful scouting mission | OneFootball

Barcelona have plans to address their forward line during the summer, with two particular areas set for signings. A new striker is wanted to replace Robert Lewandowski, who is set to leave when his contract expired, while a decision must also be made as to whether Marcus Rashford’s buy option is triggered.

Rashford can be signed for €30m, and while Barcelona have already started exploring the permanent acquisition of the Manchester United loanee, other left wing targets are being considered. One of those is Andreas Schjelderup, who has been on sporting director Deco’s radar for over a year.

According to O Jogo (via Sport), Barcelona scouts were in attendance at Benfica’s victory over Arouca over the weekend, with one club official telling the Portuguese outlet that “we are closely following Schjelderup’s evolution. His potential is undeniable and our observations have been very positive”.

On the back of this, Barcelona are believed to be considering an offer to sign Schjelderup in the summer. Premier League and Serie A clubs are also keen on the 21-year-old Norway international, but those in Catalonia are ready to move ahead of the chasing pack in order to give themselves the best chance of reaching an agreement with Benfica.

Benfica want top dollar to part ways with Schjelderup

Barcelona may well view Schjelderup as a market opportunity, but Benfica have made it clear that an offer well in excess of his €18m transfer value will be needed in order for a sale to be sanctioned. This could make things tough for the Catalans, who are prioritising the signing of a new centre-back and striker above all else – if they cannot mark their return to La Liga’s 1:1 rule before the end of the season, it will be very difficult to get their desired business done during the summer.