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Fans were excited to see Manchester United fly out of the traps when the summer transfer window opened, as they quickly tied up deals for Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee.
However, since then the club have struggled to bring in a midfielder owing to difficulty in moving on Casemiro as no Saudi clubs have come forward for the Brazilian.
United currently do not have the means to pull off a deal for Manuel Ugarte and have exited the race for the Uruguayan. They will only consider coming back in for the Copa America 2024 star should Paris Saint-Germain reduce their asking price.
Scott McTominay was another midfielder linked with an exit but Fulham are prepared to walk away while Galatasaray have switched to a different target already.
United’s hunt for a midfielder
With funds tight, United are currently in the market for cut-price deals and recently it was revealed that Sander Berge of Burnley is a legitimate target.
The Norwegian suffered relegation with the Clarets last season but did impress in certain metrics and considering his English top-flight experience and age profile, the 26-year-old’s camp has been contacted by United.
However, as The Sun have now revealed, even a deal for Berge will not be easy as many people think owing to the dreaded United tax with the Championship side asking for as much as £30 million for the Norway international.
The Red Devils are prepared to pay only £20 million and with parachute payments due to the team from Turf Moor, they are in a strong position to hold on to their midfield ace.
The player is excited about the prospect but a lot will depend on how negotiations go between both parties. As far as personal demands go, the former Sheffield United star is asking for £100,000 a week, which is not expected to be a stumbling block.
“BURNLEY WILL demand up to £30M for Sander Berge with Manchester United eyeing a bid for the Norwegian. The Old Trafford club are already understood to have made contact with Berge’s representatives.
“Despite dropping into the Championship, Burnley will refuse to sell him for cheap. Sun Sport understands that United would be prepared to pay £20M for the player signed for £12M from Sheffield United a year ago.
Burnley asking for a lot more
“Burnley, now bossed by Scott Parker after Vincent Kompany took over at Bayern Munich, would hold out for £10M more. They are under no pressure to sell given that they have a £100M parachute payment to rely on.”
The Scandinavian would be a backup option at best for the 20-time English league champions and it makes very little sense to pay over the odds for him.
However, with the start of the season only a few days away, INEOS are under pressure to strengthen in defensive midfield after Casemiro struggled in pre-season.
Other targets such as Ederson, Joao Gomes and Morten Hjulmand are expected to cost a lot more than Berge. The new co-owners have a big call on their hands.
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