Sander Berge has been pictured with Chris Wilder ahead of his expected transfer to Sheffield United.
Belgian newspaper Het Laaste Nieuws has published the image of Berge in England meeting with Wilder in a hotel.
The 21-year-old made it clear to current club Genk that he wanted to leave in the January transfer window. However, Berge has continued to train – sometimes on his own – and has not resorted to feigning injury to force his move.
An initial offer of £17m from the Blades was rejected. That has since been increased, although to exactly how much is debatable.
HLN claim the accepted bid is somewhere in the region of £22m. Yet the Daily Mail reports it is actually closer to £27m.
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Initially Genk had hoped Berge would move to Bramall Lane and then be loaned back to them for the rest of the season. But neither the player’s representatives or United agreed to that part of the deal.
Why Sander Berge has now agreed to transfer
(Photo by Vincent Kalut / Photonews
via Getty Images)
Berge has been on Wilder’s wish-list since the summer. However, when they made an approach for the Norway international then he knocked them back.
That was because Berge had no intention of joining a club newly promoted to the Premier League. At the time the Blades were preparing for their first season in the top flight for 12 years and were many peoples’ favourites to go straight back down.
For Berge, the prospect of leaving Genk and Champions League football for potentially one campaign in England’s top tier would not have been an attractive one.
Yet United have proven all of those doubters wrong this term. Ahead of this weekend’s fixtures they sit in eighth place in the table with 33 points.
Berge is said to have been impressed by Wilder and his team and is now ready to make the switch to South Yorkshire.
