Manuel Ugarte is expected to leave Manchester United this summer after two unsuccessful campaigns at Old Trafford, and a replacement will therefore be needed.
With Manchester United already agreeing to sign Ederson this summer from Atalanta for a fee of £34.5m, subject to completion after the World Cup, the midfield rebuild is off to a strong start.
Next up, United are looking to sign Mateus Fernandes as a priority in the middle of the park, despite West Ham looking to take in a hefty transfer fee, with demands currently at £85m.
Now, United’s interest in another cheaper midfield option has been reported as a potential replacement for Manuel Ugarte, should the Uruguayan depart this summer.
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Manchester United looking at Sander Berge
Ugarte looks almost certain to leave this summer as United and Michael Carrick’s stance on the midfielder has become increasingly clear in recent months.
In 2024, Ugarte joined for £42m from PSG, and despite not breaking the bank, he has somehow failed to live up to these expectations.
That summer, another option considered by United was Sander Berge, who was at Burnley and now at Fulham. The Norwegian had been close to a move and was excited to join United, only for Ineos to snub that move in favour of Ugarte.
Now, The Athletic has claimed Berge is back on the radar.
United are ‘running the rule’ over the Fulham midfielder as a potential option this summer. However, any fee might not be the bargain that Ineos want, with the London side wanting profit on the £25m they parted with to sign Berge in 2024.
Since joining, Berge has starred at Old Trafford, but ultimately, his performances have been massively underwhelming, and United’s interest is surely as a back-up to the back-up options or just to replace Ugarte as a player to break up play when needed.
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Berge only makes sense to supplement the United midfield department
For United, it is a slightly baffling link to see Berge on the radar once again, as he hasn’t done much, if anything, to earn those links.
However, it might be a smart move under certain circumstances.
If Ugarte is sold, United’s midfield department is just Kobbie Mainoo and the newly signed Ederson. Add Fernandes and Alex Scott, and you have four first-team midfielders, but with four competitions, one injury could see United short again.
In an ideal world, United would use the academy for these roles. But if the top options from the academy would develop better on loan, then Berge might be a good option instead.
- Kobbie Mainoo
- Ederson
- Mateus Fernandes
- Alex Scott
- Sander Berge
This five with Mason Mount and one of Jacob Devaney, Tyler Fletcher or Jim Thwaites to add and suddenly it is the strongest position at the club, after years of it being the worst.
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