Chelsea have been given an early reminder of the task facing Xabi Alonso after Andreas Schjelderup reportedly cooled interest in a move to Stamford Bridge.
FootballTransfers reports that Chelsea made an enquiry for the Benfica winger and held discussions over a possible summer deal.
The response was not encouraging. Schjelderup is said to want Champions League football next season, which Chelsea cannot offer after their poor 2025/26 campaign.
Transfer News Live also reported that Chelsea had joined the race for the 22-year-old, who has been valued at around โฌ45m.
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โข 83 Minutes Played
โข 1 ASSIST
โข 1 Chance Created
โข 1 Big Chance Created
โข 4 Def. Contributions
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ญ & ๐ ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ. pic.twitter.com/UlxGy1uGIj
โ Rising Stars XI (@RisingStarXI) June 26, 2026
Benfica are under no pressure to make this easy. Schjelderup is under contract until 2028 and has already attracted interest from other major clubs.
For Chelsea, this is the awkward part of Alonsoโs first summer. His appointment has lifted the mood around the project, but it cannot immediately replace the pull of Champions League football.
ReadChelsea has already looked at the control test facing Alonso at the start of his reign. Schjelderupโs stance shows how that challenge now stretches into recruitment.
Chelsea can still offer money, Premier League exposure and a manager with real pull.
The harder job is convincing targets that the rebuild is worth joining before it has delivered results.