Manchester United are reportedly considering making a surprise swoop to sign Burnley star Sander Berge this summer, as per The Athletic.
The Red Devils are said to be keen on signing a new defensive midfielder in this transfer window and initially registered their interest in Manuel Ugarte of Paris Saint-Germain.
They even agreed on personal terms with the player but the French giants reportedly want a fee of around £51m for the South American and Erik ten Hag’s side don’t want to match PSG’s asking price to secure his signature.
So, having failed to find an agreement with Les Parisiens regarding the transfer fee, United have reportedly decided to cool their interest in Ugarte. Now, Man Utd have seemingly shifted their focus on alternative options with Berge emerging as a serious option.
Berge to Man Utd
According to the report by The Athletic, the Red Devils are considering signing the Norwegian and have already made contact with the player’s representatives.
The report further claims that Burnley would be open to cashing in on the 26-year-old so Man Utd can manage to secure his signature should they push forward with this deal.
Although Berge, valued at around £17m by Transfermarkt, still has three years left in his current contract with The Clarets, they could be forced to sell the midfielder for a cut-price deal this summer as a result of their relegation.
Although Burnley struggled in the Premier League last season, the 26-year-old displayed glimpses of his talents and if as a result of that, he gets the opportunity to play for a club like United’s stature then that would be a dream move for him.
However, it has been reported that Berge isn’t the only option on United’s wish-list as Martin Zubimendi, Youssouf Fofana and Joao Gomes have all been mentioned as potential options.
Therefore, it is going to be interesting to see who Man Utd eventually decide to sign to strengthen their engine room before the end of this window.
With the new season less than two weeks away, Ten Hag’s side need to act quickly if they wish to start with their new midfielder in the starting eleven in the opening Premier League fixture against Fulham.
