Man Utd midfield target 'set to join' Fulham instead
- Fulham on course to sign Sander Berge from Burnley
- Midfielder set for medical in London ahead of £25m transfer
- Man Utd had been interested as Manuel Ugarte alternative
Fulham are expected to sign Burnley midfielder Sander Berge, who had been the subject of transfer interest from Manchester United.
It also stands to end Fulham's interest in Scott McTominay after seeing two bids turned down earlier in the summer transfer window and seemingly declining to make a third, despite retaining interest.
The Athletic reports that Fulham have agreed to pay an initial £20m for Berge, topped up by £5m in add-ons. He is travelling to London with his agent on Tuesday for a medical and to finalise the move.
The Cottagers have been searching for a replacement for Joao Palhinha, who joined Bayern Munich for up to £46.5m last month. McTominay was a serious target for Marco Silva's team, but two bids up to a maximum of £20m were rejected by Man Utd. Those fell short of an asking price in the range of £25m to £30m and renewed talks didn't yield an improved bid.
Fulham turned to Berge, reported to the subject of an offer from Old Trafford earlier this week as an alternative to the much more expensive Manuel Ugarte, and have quickly moved things along.
Formerly also of Sheffield United in the Premier League, Berge was first a target for Man Utd back in 2019 when the club was specifically targeting raw talent during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's reign. Much to the amusement of fans, he was once even reported by a prominent local journalist to have arrived at Carrington, only for it to be a case of mistaken identity – the mystery player was little known goalkeeper Nathan Bishop, who went on to join the club from Southend United.
Man Utd have continued their efforts to sign Ugarte, who agreed personal terms over a potential move to Old Trafford last month. But the clubs have been unable to agree a transfer fee, with Paris Saint-Germain not willing to negotiate their €60m (£51m) asking price.
The latest reports on the saga suggest that a new tactic will see Man Utd pursue an initial loan with obligation to buy, which would allow them to bring in the Uruguay international immediately but put the financial burden of the transfer onto next season's budget.
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