Arsenal are set to reignite their interest in midfielder Sander Berge as Sheffield United reportedly demand £30 million for the Norwegian.
According to The Sun, Arsenal have reignited their interest in Sheffield United midfielder Sander Berge. The Norwegian was a known target for the Gunners, but recently their interest cooled off due to the pursuit of other targets. The North Londoners seem to be back in the hunt as they wish to close deals before deadline day.
Arsenal are re-evaluating their midfield targets after recent twists surrounding their transfer plans. They initially searched for a top-quality central midfielder as a replacement for Granit Xhaka alongside a defensive player. Berge was being considered for a backup role to provide defensive cover to the backline.
After AS Roma failed to agree to terms over the move for Xhaka though, the Gunners are set to offer a new deal for the Swiss midfielder. That could stop Arsenal from pursuing his replacement targets such as Manuel Locatelli or Ruben Neves and focus their attention towards acquiring a defence-minded midfielder before the window shuts.
The Premier League side were interested in Brighton’s Yves Bissouma when the season ended, but since then interest in the Malian has cooled off. In a similar case, the club were keen on Sheffield United’s Berge, and while pursuing star names, seemingly put the Norwegian’s name on the backburner.
However, Arsenal are ready to rekindle their interest in the midfielder as Mikel Arteta seeks more depth to his midfield. Additionally, an injury to Thomas Partey in the friendly against Chelsea could also have a bearing effect on transfer plans. The severity of the damage remains under wraps, but if serious, the Ghanaian could miss a few weeks of action. Berge would be a good cover for the midfielder in case his injury is serious.
Sheffield United acquired Berge from Genk in January 2020 for a fee of over £20 million. The Blades value the Norwegian around £30 million as they seek to make a decent profit from his sale. The 23-year-old featured only 15 times last season after an injury disrupted his campaign as Sheffield United got relegated.
It remains to be seen if Arsenal are willing to pay what the Blades demand for Berge. The Gunners are well aware of the club’s tough negotiation tactics from their pursuit of United goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale. However, the North London side need a viable defensive midfielder, and Berge fits the bill.
