Burnley must snub Sander Berge, Fenerbahce transfer advances despite serious squad issue: View | OneFootball

Berge should be retained by the Clarets, even though the club clearly needs to offload players.

Burnley look very strong ahead of the 2024/25 campaign after their relegation from the Premier League, but will Sander Berge still be playing at Turf Moor come the August 30 deadline?

There are still weeks to go until the summer transfer window closes and the Clarets could potentially lose key players between now and then.

Arijanet Muric and Charlie Taylor have secured moves upwards to Ipswich Town and Southampton respectively, and it remains to be seen who else leaves before the latter stages of next month.

It's clear that the Lancashire side have a bloated squad, and with this in mind, they will need to offload some first-teamers in the coming weeks.

But Berge is one player they shouldn't be looking to sell, amid interest from the continent and a very special manager.

Burnley should not be looking to sell Sander Berge despite Fenerbahce bid

According to Fotomac, Turkish Super Lig side Fenerbahce have submitted a bid to try and sign the Norwegian, and it has even been reported that the player is keen on a move to Jose Mourinho's side.

With his potential stance in mind, the Clarets may be willing to sanction an exit for the former Sheffield United man, but there are some key reasons why the club should be looking to retain him, unless they need to sell the 26-year-old for financial reasons.

Firstly, the Norwegian performed fairly well at times last season - and is a player who is proven in both the first and second tiers of English football.

This makes him the perfect player to have, with his experience likely to be crucial for Scott Parker's side in their quest to secure a quick Premier League return.

The Clarets should be looking to retain their most crucial players and offload those who aren't likely to play a key part during the upcoming season, and offloading fringe players should help to bring the wage bill down - and help the club to retain key men like Berge.

The midfielder's contract situation is also worth a mention, with his deal not expiring until the summer of 2027, and with this in mind, Parker's side shouldn't be under major pressure to sell him, unless they need to for FFP reasons.

They don't have a surplus of options in central midfield either, following Jack Cork's departure. Retaining Berge will be important because of this - and his ability to play in a deep midfield role and in a more advanced position should serve the Clarets well.

He's a player who can contribute in all thirds, so it would be a shame for the club to lose him before the window closes next month.

Burnley have a plethora of players they should look to offload before Sander Berge

There are plenty of players who could be on their way out of Turf Moor during the second half of the transfer window, given the fact that Scott Parker's current squad stands at a mammoth 38 names.

They probably don't need to offload anyone in the goalkeeping department, considering there has already been plenty of movement there, and the Clarets don't need to offload full-backs either, but they have too many central defenders at their disposal right now.

CJ Egan-Riley and Luke McNally are two players who could potentially be offloaded, but even if they are, they will still have quite a few centre-backs at their disposal.

Their central midfield department looks fine for now, as mentioned above, but they probably have too many options in their wing and striker departments.

Luca Koleosho, Mike Tresor, Wilson Odobert, Manuel Benson, Nathan Redmond, Anass Zaroury, Darko Churlinov and Dara Costelloe can all play out wide, so there's definitely a need to address this area and weigh up who should go.

Benson and Zaroury didn't win a huge amount of game time last term and it wouldn't be a huge shock if they go, but they may have a fresh chance to thrive under a new manager.

Another loan spell for Costelloe may be beneficial for the player, but Churlinov should probably secure a permanent exit.

Up-front, Zeki Amdouni, Lyle Foster, Michael Obafemi and Wout Weghorst are all options, as well as Jay Rodriguez, who put pen to paper on an extension this summer.

With Rodriguez unlikely to go after putting pen to paper on an extension, one or two other forwards could potentially depart, including Weghorst.

The Netherlands international is thought to be keen on an exit and with this in mind, the club could be looking to offload him.

There are a number of players that they could offload, but they shouldn't be looking to sell Berge before any of these happen - he's far too important for Burnley to lose ahead of this season.