Sheffield United could still lose star midfielder Sander Berge this summer, with The Athletic reporting there is interest from two Premier League clubs.
Berge was a star player in the final few months of the season as he produced some fine performances playing further forward to help propel United into the top six. He scored his penalty in the shootout loss against Nottingham Forest, and has been fit during pre-season ahead of the opener with Watford a week today.
However, The Athletic has reported today that there is indeed interest from the PL in Berge, and that if a bid comes in around the £22m United paid for him, the board wouldn’t stand in his way.
Of course, whether someone is willing to stump up that cash remains to be seen. Leeds United are one of the clubs said to be keen on Berge, while last summer saw the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham show interest.
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Paul Heckingbottom has spoken about Berge this summer and insisted no proper bid has come in. He insists the player is happy at Bramall Lane and there is continual dialogue when it comes to his role and future with the club.
Our View: Berge Tough To Replace But £20m Hard To Turn Down
It’s widely known that Sander has a £35m release-clause in his contract and if a club meets that, there’ll be no complaints from United fans.
However, that £20m fee would be a tad tougher to swallow. Sure, the club needs money and it’s hard to turn down such money in the Championship. The big issue comes in replacing him. United won’t get all that £20m or so to spend, so getting a player in who can fill the void would be tough.
Ideally, Sander gives us one more season and helps us towards promotion. If we miss out, then he can then move on knowing he’s done his very best to get the club back up.
