Sporting CP have confirmed the signing of Danish midfielder Silas Andersen from Swedish side BK Häcken. The deal is worth around €7.25 million up front, with add-ons that could take the total to roughly €10 million, and Andersen has signed a contract running until 2031 with an €80 million release clause built in.
Sporting brought Andersen in as the fourth midfield addition of their 2026/27 rebuild, alongside Rodrigo Zalazar, Pedro Lima and Issa Doumbia, as manager Rui Borges looks to freshen up his engine room for a season that includes a return to the Champions League. At 6ft 2in, Andersen offers physical presence and can play either as a holding midfielder or further forward in a box-to-box role, and he has been picked out for his composure on the ball and his range of passing. Speaking at his official presentation, Andersen said Sporting playing in Europe every year made the move 'a fantastic step' for a young player to keep developing.
For Häcken, this is their record sale. Football director Martin Ericsson said the club were 'very pleased and proud' of the deal, pointing to both the fee and the size of the buying club. Andersen had only joined Häcken from FC Utrecht in January 2025 but quickly became a key figure, and his departure leaves a gap in central midfield for a side that will again play continental football next season.
His time in Gothenburg peaked with the winning penalty in last season's Swedish Cup final against Malmö FF, a moment Andersen has called his best memory at the club. Across 64 appearances for Häcken he scored 11 goals and added four assists, output that is unusually high for a central midfielder and a big reason clubs further afield, including reported interest from Wolverhampton and scouting attention from Arsenal, had been tracking him before Sporting moved.
At Sporting, the early signs are that Borges sees Andersen as a long-term piece rather than an instant fix. Coaching staff have already flagged an area to sharpen up: his reaction in the moments after losing the ball, with Borges wanting quicker, more aggressive counter-pressing from his new midfielder, a trait he regards as essential in that deeper role. Andersen has reportedly taken well to the instruction and has been keen to talk through the tactical detail in training.
On paper, Andersen's mix of goal threat from midfield and physical profile should give Sporting a different option alongside their existing central players, even if it takes him time to adjust to the pace and physicality of Portuguese football. Häcken, meanwhile, will look to reinvest a club-record fee while filling a hole in a midfield that carried them to a domestic cup and a European campaign last season.