Manchester United are weighing whether to make a move for Sander Berge as they look to add two central midfielders this summer. The Fulham midfielder is one of several options under consideration, with the club still deciding whether to turn interest into a formal bid.
Berge, 28, has become a live name in United's search because he is viewed as a cheaper option than some of the other midfield targets being tracked. That matters now because the club's recruitment push has already been shaped by the expected arrival of Ederson in a £38million move from Atalanta, although that deal is yet to be confirmed.
The attraction is easy to explain. Berge started 34 of Fulham's 38 Premier League matches last season and has already shown he can handle the league. He was also called up to Norway's squad for the 2026 World Cup, where Norway face Iraq on Tuesday night, underlining that he remains part of a current international picture rather than a player drifting toward the margins.
Fulham, though, are in a strong negotiating position. They paid £25million for Berge two years ago and are likely to want to make a profit, while his contract at Craven Cottage runs until 2029 and includes a one-year option to 20230 too. That leaves United with a familiar problem: the player fits the need, but the selling club does not have to move quickly or cheaply.
There is also a second layer to the story. United thought about making a move for Berge in 2024 when he left Burnley to sign for Fulham, and the club's interest stretches back even further, to the January transfer window of 2020, when rumours linked him with Old Trafford in the Premier League and a mystery arrival at Carrington was even wrongly said to be him. He signed for Sheffield United instead, spent three-and-a-half years at Bramall Lane, then moved on to Burnley and Fulham.
The question now is whether United will finally turn that long-running interest into action. Berge would fit the No.6 role they are trying to fill, but Fulham's contract position means any deal would have to clear a higher bar than simple admiration. If United want him, they may have to pay enough to convince Fulham that the profit is worth losing one of their most durable midfield starters.
