"I want nothing less than £30m" - Claim made on Burnley's Sander Berge as Man Utd try to strike deal | OneFootball

The Norwegian is a target for the Premier League giants, just a year after moving to Turf Moor.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Sander Berge has been a hot topic of conversation this summer, following Burnley's relegation back to the Championship after just one season in the Premier League.

The 26-year-old moved to Turf Moor last August from Sheffield United, after the Clarets romped to the second division title in 2022/23, winning the league by 10 points over Berge's former club.

However, Burnley finished 19th in the Premier League last year, and now find themselves back in the Championship, this time under the guidance of Scott Parker.

The club made 15 signings last summer, and have already had seven new faces through the door, including Mike Trésor, who signed a permanent contract after spending 2023/24 on loan, in a deal worth a reported £16 million.

Nevertheless, the shoe is now on the other foot for Parker's side, who will have to try and keep their key player, Berge, away from a move to Manchester United, with Dharmesh Sheth sharing that the two parties have held "initial talks".

Burnley must keep hold of Berge for their promotion push

Although Burnley will gain a significant fee for Berge, they should try their very hardest to keep hold of the Norwegian.

He's been a major part of everything good that both Burnley and Sheffield United have experienced in the last few seasons, and was influential in his last season in the Championship with the Blades.

Despite relegation from the top flight with the Clarets, Berge has proven that he is capable of playing at the highest level, and would excel in the Championship once again if he is to remain at Turf Moor past August 30.

FLW'sBurnley Fan Pundit, Nathan Rogers, believes that the 26-year-old is ready for the step-up to the pinnacle of football if a deal is arranged: "Sander Berge is arguably our most important player this season. He's absolutely pivotal; his movement with the ball, his ability to get out of tight spaces, his passing range and his tackling.

"We need that player to hold the fort down, push through the lines, get our wingers involved and track back and sit front and centre. He does the lot.

"To see someone like Berge linked with Man United is no surprise. I think he genuinely would be a perfect addition to Man Utd. He’s calm, has a small ego, is not a big name. He’s someone that can come in and do a job that he is specifically asked to do.

"Obviously, I don't want him to leave because I think he's actually crucial to us getting promoted, and I would say he’d be the best player in the league if he stays in the Championship. I don't think anybody comes near him."

Fee could be the deciding factor in selling Berge on

Burnley signed Berge for a fee of around £12 million, and will be hoping to at least double that price with his importance to the team so great.

Nathan is worried that without it, a replacement could be hard to come by, especially with the midfielder just coming into his peak: "I want nothing less than £30m with add-ons. I want us to wrap him up in add-ons and sell-on fees.

"£30 million is a must because we're going to have to go out and replace him, and we lack a like-for-like replacement with his ability to go straight into the midfield.

"It's probably about fair and that would give us enough in the budget to go and get a well known, older, experienced Premier League player coming towards the end of his career.