Sheffield United are reportedly ‘prepared to offload’ midfielder Sander Berge this summer, as the club looks to restructure slightly.
Manager Slavisa Jokanovic got his first full taste of first-team affairs at Shirecliffe today. The Serbian has taken over from Chris Wilder and will have a number of immediate issues to attend to.
One of those issues is the future of a number of players. Berge is one of the key names in that group. His future is somewhat up in the air.
Despite United suggesting he won’t be sold for anything less than the £35m release-clause, there’s a growing acceptance that Berge will leave. Even if it’s not for that £35m figure. The likes of Arsenal, Napoli, and Aston Villa have all been linked in recent weeks.
And a report from the Sheffield Star today has claimed that United are ‘prepared to offload’ Berge. Despite interest in Berge being nothing new, this is the first mention in the local media that a deal might be there for potential buyers.
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Recent reports from Italy have suggested that Berge could end up leaving for £10-12m. However, we have been assured that that is not the case.
Whether someone moves for Berge between now and the end of the summer, remains to be seen.
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While United can push the message out about the £35m, it’s hard to see the board turning down a bid just shy. Money talks in football. United need to make up the shortfall from relegation.
If selling Berge means balancing the books and keeping the bulk of the other first-team players, then it might just have to be done.
Of course, getting £35m and digging the heels in is admirable. But as the weeks go by and Jokanovic makes his targets known, we’ll need money to spend.
Offloading Berge, then, might be the best logical way of helping the new boss.