Everton want to sign Sheffield United star Sander Berge
Everton are in the hunt to sign Sheffield United star Sander Berge but they face competition from a host of top European clubs, according to Sky Sports.
They claim the Blues and Arsenal are among the sides lining up a summer bid for the 23-year-old midfielder, whose release clause has reduced from £45million to £35million after the Blades were relegated from the Premier League last month.
Sky Sports report that while Berge is happy in South Yorkshire he believes his future lies away from Sheffield United, and the club fear his departure could be on the cards.
The Norway international only made his return to first-team action last Sunday after nearly five months out injured.
He was an influential member of the starting XI before his prolonged absence, leading The Star journalist Alan Biggs to label him an “unstoppable driving force” in October.
Time up for some?
Everton are not exactly lacking depth in the middle of midfield but Carlo Ancelotti may be starting to run out of patience with a number of them.
The positions of Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure appear pretty secure after their impressive debut campaigns at Goodison Park, but the likes of Andre Gomes and Tom Davies must be nervously looking over their shoulders at potential arrivals.
Both have featured prominently this season, making 25 and 22 Premier League appearances respectively this season, but they’ve failed to score and they’ve only managed one apiece between them since the start of the 2018/19 campaign.
Berge, meanwhile, has scored twice in 28 league outings for struggling Sheffield United while he hit four goals in 23 league games for Belgian side Genk before his Bramall Lane move in 2020.
He has goals to his game but it is energy and combative nature that makes him so appealing.
Berge has the full package and still has plenty of development left in him, while Gomes and Davies appear to have stagnated on Merseyside.
With the injury issues of Fabian Delph and Jean-Philippe Gbamin the Blues need for a midfielder is actually a pressing matter if we want to kick on next season.
A midfield trio of Allan, Doucoure and Berge could be a formidable proposition for our Premier League rivals.
In other Everton news, Blues handed boost as West Ham ace on ‘another level’ could miss PL clash.
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