Manchester United Pursues Sander Berge Amidst Midfield Market Chaos
Manchester United’s midfield rebuild is starting to look less like a shopping trip and more like survival in a market gone mad. With primary targets snapped up for eye-watering sums, the club are widening their search – and an old name is back on the table.
Sander Berge, once monitored and then passed over by United, has re-emerged as a serious option after impressing for Norway at the World Cup and settling quickly at Fulham.
United priced out of early targets
United’s initial plans have already been ripped up by the scale of this summer’s fees.
- Elliot Anderson, a leading target, went to Manchester City for a staggering £116 million.
- Mateus Fernandes, signed by Tottenham for £85m despite coming from a West Ham side that went down, was another player United chose not to chase once the numbers escalated.
The message from Old Trafford was clear: they would not be dragged into a bidding war at any price, even for players they admired. That stance has forced a rethink.
Alex Scott at Bournemouth, Aurelien Tchouameni at Real Madrid and Chelsea’s Andrey Santos are now firmly on the radar. All three fit the profile of midfielders who can reshape United’s core over the next few seasons. But none of them will be cheap, and not all of them are even available.
Berge back in the frame
In that context, Berge’s name has moved back into prominence.
The 28-year-old, who left Burnley for Fulham in a £25m deal last season, was tracked by United during the 2023–24 campaign before they opted against a move. Fulham stepped in, paid the fee and have been rewarded with a midfielder now catching the eye on the biggest stage with Norway.
Laurie Whitwell, The Athletic’s Old Trafford reporter, revealed on the Talk of the Devils podcast that Berge is again under serious consideration.
Berge, Whitwell noted, is playing “pretty well” for Norway at the World Cup, and crucially, is seen as someone who could slot into United’s side immediately. Not a headline-grabber. Not a transformational signing. But a reliable, physically imposing midfielder who understands the tempo of the Premier League and the demands of top-level football.
Fulham’s £25m outlay already looks like a bargain. Any deal now would cost United more, with his international form only strengthening Fulham’s hand. Even so, compared to some of the figures flying around, Berge represents something approaching realism.
The Athletic’s transfer dealsheet underlined that United had “previously considered” Berge and could now reignite that interest off the back of his World Cup displays.
Scott blocked, Tchouameni monitored, Santos admired
Berge is not the only name in play.
Alex Scott has emerged as Michael Carrick’s preferred midfield target in recent weeks, according to BBC Sport’s Simon Stone. Scott’s blend of control, composure and press resistance has made him one of the most admired young midfielders in the league.
But Bournemouth have drawn a hard line. United and Arsenal have both been told he is not for sale. Not at any price that would tempt them to the table.
That stance has pushed United to look harder at continental options.
If Jose Mourinho, now in charge at Real Madrid, decides to cash in on Aurelien Tchouameni, United are ready to move. The Frenchman would command around €100m (£85m), a fee that underlines his status as one of Europe’s elite defensive midfielders. There is no indication yet that Madrid are actively pushing him out, but United are watching closely, prepared to act if that situation changes.
Chelsea’s Andrey Santos is another name drawing firm interest from INEOS. Young, athletic and technically sound, Santos would cost around £50m and is understood to be open to the move. At this stage, though, United have not opened formal talks with Chelsea.
Felix Nmecha of Borussia Dortmund has also been scouted, but his price tag – an enormous €120m (£102.5m) – makes any move highly unlikely under United’s current recruitment strategy.
A market of extremes – and a test of United’s resolve
This is the reality United are navigating: a market where £116m buys a promising midfielder from a domestic rival and relegated players still command £85m fees. Against that backdrop, a player like Berge, with Premier League experience, strong international form and a realistic price, starts to look less like a compromise and more like a calculated decision.
He will not be the poster boy for a new era. He will not dominate headlines like a nine-figure Galactico. But he might, as those inside Old Trafford increasingly recognise, give United something they have lacked for too long – a dependable, ready-made midfield presence who can raise the floor of the team while others chase the ceiling.
The question now is simple: in a summer defined by excess, will United stick to their principles and go for smart, attainable solutions like Berge, or be dragged back into the chaos of the £100m gamble?
