Arsenal are currently in the market for a new midfielder. Mikel Arteta stated in the last press conference that he would ideally like to bring another midfielder since Mohamed Elneny got injured and will spend a significant period of time on the sidelines. The Gunners want to add depth in the central midfield role since Lokonga is the only natural Central Midfielder to cover Xhaka and Partey. Although Declan Rice is expected to be a top priority in the summer, Arsenal need cover immediately since they are still involved in three competitions.
It looks like one of the player that they are keeping tabs on is Sheffield United midfielder Sander Berge.
The 24 year old Norwegian joined Sheffield United in January 2020 from Genk for a reported fee of €23m. His performances that season didn’t go unnoticed as he played an integral part in Sheffield’s historical season where they finished 9th in the Premier League. Unfortunately for Berge and Sheffield, next season wasn’t as successful as the previous one, as they finished bottom last and got relegated to the Championship.
It was expected that Berge will follow the footsteps of some of his teammates and join a Premier League club, but The Norwegian stayed loyal to the Blades and stayed with them. So far this season he made 19 appearances in the Champiosnhip, scoring four and assisting three goals. His main strengths is his height that comes at 1,93m, so his strength and his duel-game is his biggest attribute. He also has an eye for a goal and an assist, which is another thing that seperates him from the others.
Although Sheffield are in a promotion battle, they could be tempted to sell Berge if an convenient offer is received at the Bramall Lane. Current market value of Sander Berge is around €16m, and Arsenal will have to face the competition of Chelsea who are also scouting him, together with Romeo Lavia. However, Chelsea are currently more interested in Lavia, so in case Arsenal wants to sign Berge, it looks like they will be the front runners.
There is no doubt that Berge would be a good signing for Arsenal and will provide decent cover in case one of Xhaka or Partey gets injured and potentially put their title charge in danger.
