Sunderland are leading the race for Clement Bischoff – but Brøndby remain in contract talks with the midfielder
Brøndby sporting director Benjamin Schmedes has insisted the Danish club are not looking to sell rising star Clement Bischoff this summer – despite growing Premier League interest from Sunderland.
The Black Cats are said to be “leading the race” to land the teenager, who is valued at around £5.1million, with just 12 months left on his current deal.
But speaking to TV 2 Sport, Schmedes was adamant that both Bischoff and fellow U21 European Championship standout Noah Nartey still have room to grow in Denmark – and confirmed talks are ongoing about extending their stays. “We know how talented they are, and I don't think they're finished with their personal development,” Schmedes said. “Both can take more steps here in Brøndby, and I still hope they feel that.”
He added: “Clement has one year left on his contract, and that puts us in a situation where we've had strong discussions for a long time. But nothing is official yet, so there's no agreement. We're in dialogue, and we'll see where it ends. Noah has two years left, so it's a different case.”
Sunderland have been linked with Bischoff in recent weeks, with Danish journalist Toke Theilade – editor of Brøndby-focused site VilfortPark – reporting that the Wearsiders are now front-runners to secure his signature, despite past interest from Brighton.
Bischoff came close to joining the Seagulls earlier this year and later spoke openly about his disappointment when the move collapsed. “It was such a strange feeling. It was as if something was taken away from me just as I was about to achieve something. It was tough,” he told Ekstra Bladet.
“[Brighton] was a project that I could see myself in, which is the most important thing. It’s a good club and it’s the Premier League, so of course it’s a boyhood dream. I was disappointed. I’ll be honest with you. I was over there and got the message and it was tough. Then I travelled home.”
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Reflecting further, he added: “It was a bit like a movie. But as I’ve always been told, things move quickly in football. It has done that for me in a positive way for a very long time. The first day, I thought about it an awful lot, and it was tough. I was also told that I could take a little break from training if that’s what I needed. But I’m not like that. I just want to get back on the training pitch and get my mind off it a bit, because it’s on the football pitch that I forget things. I’ve done that, so I’m moving on now.”
Whether that next step comes in Denmark or Wearside remains to be seen – but with contract talks ongoing and Sunderland reportedly pushing behind the scenes, the saga is one to watch.
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