Manchester City join race for Sheffield United's Sander Berge

Manchester City have been linked with a move for Sheffield United midfielder Sander Berge.

Berge moved to Bramall Lane back in January 2020 after impressing for Genk. He went on to feature in each of his side's remaining Premier League games during the 2019/2020 season, scoring and assisting in a 3-1 win over Tottenham in July.

This term has has only played 13 times due to injury. His most recent appearances came in a 3-2 defeat to Manchester United back in December. Sheffield United have clearly missed him as well. After impressing last season with a ninth-placed finish, they have really struggled this time around and are currently 15 points adrift of 17th placed Newcastle with eight games left.

With the Blades destined for the drop, interest in Berge is rife. The latest club to be linked is Manchester City. As reported by Belgian outlet Voetbal 24, Berge is apparently 'top of Pep Guardiola's wishlist' for the summer transfer window as he looks to replace the long-serving Fernandinho.

Despite Sheffield United's imminent relegation, the midfielder is unlikely to be available on the cheap. According to Yorkshire Live, the Blades will not accept anything less than the £22m they paid for Berge last year.

If their demands are not met, Berge - whose contract is not set to expire until 2024 - will remain at the club. It is understood that 20% of any transfer fee would go to Genk as well, adding to the need for the Blades to sell high.

City are not the only team interested in Berge either. Liverpool were linked with the Norwegian in March, while Arsenal and Aston Villa are also said to be sniffing around. With reliable defensive midfielders hard to come by, several more clubs could join the race in the summer.