Brynhildsen fires against Bodø/Glimt after Vetlesen rejection:

They debuted together on the A national team in November, they were both brought up in Stabæk, and they are both on the verge of fulfilling their dream of a move abroad.

Vetlesen could become a Feyenoord player on Deadline Day. TV 2 recently revealed that Bodø/Glimt rejected a bid with a total frame of NOK 65 million for the midfielder.

For Brynhildsen, the train has not left yet for this time: TV 2 was able to learn last week that Molde had rejected an offer of around NOK 35 million from Trabzonspor, and the Turkish transfer window is open until Wednesday, so a new push could make things happen in the next few days.

Trabzonspor is the second club that has tried to buy Brynhildsen this winter. The other was French Bordeaux. Both times he has been called into the office of managing director Ole Erik Stavrum.

– It’s the same rule: In the office, he says that it is one of his values ​​to tell his players face to face when an offer has arrived, and then we talk a bit about it, and then we see what happens, says Brynhildsen to TV 2.

Neither Stavrum nor coach Erling Moe hide it from TV 2: It is Brynhildsen’s turn to be sold now, either in winter or in the summer, and they suggest that an increased bid from Turkey may be accepted in the coming days.

– It is a bit difficult to make a decision about it right now as nothing is clear. There is no consensus. I try not to think about it too much before I have to make a decision. We have had a good dialogue. I really enjoy being a Molde player, and then we’ll have to take it when the time comes, says Brynhildsen.

– What is your impression of how well organized it is to be able to go on from Molde compared to Bodø/Glimt?

– I think it is much more difficult to get out of Bodø, he says.

Brynhildsen elaborates:

– We just have to pay tribute to the work they have done. They are incredibly good at bringing out players who may not have made it in other clubs, but who shine incredibly well up there. And then we see that it is a little more difficult to get out. There are more people who go for free because they prioritize the Europa League or whatever it may be, he says.

– They have to accept that people go for free

Last year, Glimt rejected an offer of over NOK 40 million for Ola Solbakken when there was only one year left on his contract. He ended up signing for Roma when his contract with Glimt expired, so they didn’t get a transfer fee.

Then Glimt coach Kjetil Knutsen said he was “not very happy that they are doing it that way” because he “thinks the clubs that have helped them along the way will be left with something”.

– I understand that it can be a bit frustrating, but if they refuse to sell, they have to accept that people go for free. If it had happened here, one would have thought…

Brynhildsen takes a break.

– You want to use this as an intermediate step to get out, so if they are adamant about letting you go, then it might be something you have to take into account when choosing that intermediate step, he says.

– Do you think that makes Molde more attractive to players who want it?

– Yes I believe. The philosophy of Bodø is to bring in players who have not quite succeeded where they have been and then turn them into good players, while Molde often brings in a lot of the best. When I came to Molde, they had a clear plan for me. They have followed it, and I am very satisfied with the choice I made when I went to Molde.

– I would have been quite annoyed

– You and Hugo have been in very similar situations in recent weeks. What kind of discussions have you had together?

– We talk a lot, says Brynhildsen and laughs.

– But we talk a bit about our situations, give each other some advice, hear what the other has been thinking and the like. We share much of the same situation. It’s good to have someone to talk to in that situation, he continues.

– Do you think it’s crazy to turn down NOK 65 million for him when he has one year left on his contract?

– Yes, says Brynhildsen and repeats:

– I would say that, yes. They prioritize Europe over being a selling club. We have to respect that. But I would probably be quite annoyed if I were in Hugo’s shoes.

– How do you feel about him?

– He is a professional. He is. Of course it’s crap, for sure, for a few weeks or days, but I feel quite sure that he will continue to perform and be good for Bodø, and then his dream abroad will come.

– Shocked

But it may not be every day that a club like Feyenoord appears. The Dutch top club has proven to be a good step for Norwegian players in recent years; Fredrik Aursnes played there for a year before he was sold on to Benfica, while Marcus Holmgren Pedersen is now a permanent right-back.

– It will probably sit for a little while. Now you can talk about Feyenoord as well, that they arrive so late on Deadline Day, so there are certainly two sides to the story. But Feyenoord is a good club. You understand that you want to take that step, says Brynhildsen.

– Is there a topic of conversation among you, the way Bodø/Glimt handles orders from abroad?

– It is clear that you are a bit shocked when you say no to such offers. I play with some of them in the national team and am good friends with some. I come pretty close. I have to say that the times we have heard about it, that they then have to go out, then you are shocked. You understand that they go for free when they don’t sell at such prices.

Glimt: – Not a stupid idea

TV 2 has been in contact with sports manager Håvard Sakariassen in Bodø/Glimt. He is responsible for buying and selling players in the club.

– All cases live their own lives and I do not comment on individual cases, he emphasizes, but he adds:

– Bodø/Glimt has realized games abroad for at least 20 players since 2019: Ricardo Friedrich, Nikita Haikin, Marius Lode, Fredrik Bjørkan, Patrick Berg, Håkon Evjen, Jens Petter Hauge, Runar Hauge, Amor Layouni, Philip Zinckernagel, Kasper Junker, Geir André Herrem, Elias Melkersen, Victor Boniface, Ola Solbakken, Elias Hagen, Alfons Sampsted, Marius Høibråten, Erik Botheim and Joel Mvuka.

– I may well have forgotten someone here, but the point remains. It has probably not been a stupid idea for players to sign for Bodø/Glimt. Probably the opposite, says Sakariassen.

He completes:

– And there is something called «best predictor of future behavor is past behavior» (the best way to predict future behavior is past behavior). In this respect, Bodø/Glimt should be very attractive for players who carry a dream.

Of the 20 players Sakariassen mentions, seven left the club because their contracts expired.

Hugo Vetlesen has not responded to TV 2’s inquiries about the matter.

For the record: Both Brynhildsen and Vetlesen are represented by agent Jim Solbakken.

Moe: – Should pay tribute to Glimt

Brynhildsen’s contract with Molde expires in 2024, but coach Erling Moe acknowledges that the player may be sold soon.

– We are prepared for that. We have a plan if that happens. We’ll see if it will be now or in the summer or whatever, but the way Ola looks… If it doesn’t happen this time, it will happen next time. He looks damn good, says the MFK coach.

He is admittedly far more positive in his discussion of Glimt’s strategy on the transfer market.

– We should pay tribute to Bodø/Glimt for having enough balls to do what they do. I think it’s fantastic, says Moe.

– Even turning down NOK 65 million for Hugo Vetlesen?

– Yes. As long as it’s right for them, I think it’s just fine. It’s their decision and what they see is best for them, both in the short term for Europe and this year’s upcoming season. Then they have put themselves in a situation that everyone wants to be in.