Sheffield United issue fresh financial stance over Leeds United summer target

Sheffield United are willing to listen to offers worth £22 million for Norwegian midfielder Sander Berge, according to The Athletic.

To the surprise of many, the 24-year-old remained a Blades player for the 2021-22 season, with no clubs coming in with suitable bids either last summer or in the mid-season transfer window.

Despite battling with a serious hamstring injury, Berge featured 33 times in the Championship for United, scoring six times as they failed to navigate their way through the play-offs, falling short against Nottingham Forest in the semi-finals.

And even though he’s under contract at Bramall Lane for another two years, the future of Berge is uncertain, especially after his international manager Stale Solbakken suggested earlier in the month that the central midfielder should consider departing the club.

Berge is reportedly of interest to Premier League side Leeds United, but YorkshireLive report that no official approach has been made by the Blades’ Yorkshire counterparts for his services yet.

Despite having a release clause of £35 million though, offers in the region of £22 million – which is what United paid Genk in January 2020 for his services – will be considered, per The Athletic’s report.

The Verdict

United perhaps needed to be a bit more realistic as to what kind of fee they could expect to get for Berge this summer.

Having spent a year in the Championship, where he wasn’t exactly one of the top performing players over the course of the campaign, it would have been a shock to see Berge depart for what his release clause is worth.

So in order to come to a compromise, it’s wise for them to lower their expectations, as they could potentially strengthen a number of positions with £22 million – if that