Manchester United reportedly identify Burnley’s Sander Berge as a possible midfield signing if they cannot lure Manuel Ugarte away from Paris Saint-Germain.
Manchester United have supposedly earmarked Burnley lynchpin Sander Berge as an ideal midfield acquisition if they cannot land some of their other top targets.
The Red Devils are set for a mini reshuffle in the engine room this summer, as Donny van de Beek has joined Girona on a permanent deal, and more could follow him out of the door in the coming weeks.
Casemiro and Christian Eriksen – two cornerstones of Erik ten Hag‘s successful debut season – are both facing uncertain futures, while Scott McTominay is being targeted by Premier League rivals Fulham.
A handful of revered European midfielders have been tipped to head to Old Trafford as part of Man United’s rebuild, including Adrien Rabiot, whom the club tried and failed to sign in 2022 while he was still at Juventus.
Rabiot is now available on a free transfer and is back on the Red Devils’ radar, as are Paris Saint-Germain‘s Manuel Ugarte and Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, but the latter has affirmed that he will not be leaving the Spanish side this summer.
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Man United ‘showing interest’ in Berge
The Red Devils have seemingly received a boost in their efforts to sign Ugarte, though, as PSG are on the verge of a £59.7m deal for Benfica’s Joao Neves, formerly linked with Ten Hag’s side.
The French champions could now be more open to letting Ugarte leave, but they are still holding firm on their £51.1m asking price, which Man United are currently not in a position to fork out.
The Red Devils have already spent close to £90m on the captures of Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro, but the latter’s three-month layoff with a foot injury has changed their transfer plans; they have apparently seen a double bid for Bayern Munich’s Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui turned down.
Should Man United fail to satisfy PSG’s price demands for Ugarte, FootballTransfers claims that Burnley and Norway midfielder Berge could be targeted, as he is open to an exit from Turf Moor following the Clarets’ relegation.
At the same time, Burnley are supposedly happy to sanction Berge’s exit in order to boost their coffers, and the 26-year-old would certainly be available for a less than the £51.1m that PSG are demanding for Ugarte.
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However, Man United may have to fend off interest from La Liga and Serie A sides to capture Berge, who is under contract at Burnley until 2027 following his arrival last summer.
How has Berge performed in the Premier League?
A star of the Premier League lockdown era, Berge was snapped up by Sheffield United midway through the 2019-20 season, although he missed a good chunk of the 2020-21 campaign through hamstring surgery.
Berge’s absence played a huge role in the Blades’ relegation from the top flight, but he stayed loyal to Sheffield United during their two years in the Championship, only to jump ship to another promoted side in Burnley last summer.
The midfielder missed just one Premier League game in the 2023-24 season, starting 34 top-flight contests and coming up with one goal and two assists, but he could not prevent the Blades’ slide back down to tier two.