Chelsea are reportedly set to battle Liverpool in pursuit of 21-year-old Norwegian midfielder Sander Berge, who is also a target for Napoli.
According to a report by Goal, Chelsea are the latest club to join the race to sign Sander Berge from Genk. The Premier League heavyweights have joined European champions Liverpool and Napoli in pursuit of the Norwegian midfielder, who has just over 18 months left in his deal with Genk.
Sander Berge is one of the most promising young midfielders in Europe and has improved leaps and bounds over the last two years at Genk. Now one of the first names on the team sheet at the Luminus Arena, the 21-year-old has become a pivotal player for the Belgian outfit.
So far this term, Berge has played all but one game for Genk and has been a standout in what has been a slow start to the 2019-20 season for the club. And, his solid performances have attracted a number of clubs, including Chelsea and Liverpool.
At Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp has a well stocked midfield unit at his disposal. But, with Adam Lallana being heavily linked with a move away from Anfield, the manager could soon be left with Fabinho as the only holding midfielder in his squad.
To that end, a move for Berge makes sense for Liverpool, whose interest was recently confirmed by Genk sporting director Dimitri De Conde. The Reds, though, face stiff competition from Chelsea in the race to sign the Norwegian midfielder.
The interest from Chelsea, however, comes as a bit of a surprise. The Blues have seen Jorginho flourish in the first three months of the season, wherein he has established himself as one of the best holding midfielders in the Premier League. In addition to Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic and N’Golo Kante combine to forge a formidable midfield unit.
Chelsea also have the likes of Billy Gilmour and RB Leipzig loanee Ethan Ampadu waiting in the wings, thereby making their chase for Berge a bit curious. Nevertheless, the West Londoners appear to be set to make a move for the Genk midfielder once their transfer ban ends, and will challenge Liverpool and Napoli for him.
With the player having a little over 18 months left on his contract with Genk, a move in either of the next two windows could be possible. For now, the race Berge is heating up, with Chelsea joining Liverpool and Napoli in his pursuit.