Whether Liverpool dip into the market this winter will emerge from obscurity in the coming weeks, but if they do, the centre of the park simply must be the target.
What’s the word?
With high-profile names such as Jude Bellingham and Enzo Fernandez flying around like litter in a storm, it is easy to forget that there are some shrewd signings just waiting around the corner, with Liverpool known for making calculated, composed swoops under boss Jurgen Klopp’s tutelage.
Sheffield United’s Sander Berge is one such name that may find itself etched into the Anfield dressing room shortly, with French publication Jeunes Footeux reporting that the Reds are among the train of top European outfits vying for his signature.
The piece continues to state that Sporting Director Julian Ward will contest against Chelsea for Berge, touted at around £17m, with both teams likely enticed by the relatively low fee and the player’s robust presence in the midfield, with Premier League-proven experience.
Henderson 2.0
Taking a leaf from their own book, Liverpool could continue the trend of signing domestic talents and churning them through their machine to raise the gear on their performance.
One signing bearing semblance to the prospective transfer is the deal for current Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson.
Signing the 20-year-old Henderson from Sunderland in 2011, for a reported £20m, the rest, as they say, is history, with the former Black Cat going on to win eight honours for the Reds, including the Premier League and the Champions League.
Still yet to reach the midpoint of his twenties, Berge would arrive slightly later in his footballing epoch, but with bundles of potential still yet to be unravelled.
At 24 years old, he has already tasted European football with Genk, while suffering the bitter taste of relegation with the Blades more recently, although Klopp’s past swoops for relegated players such as Gini Wijnaldum and Xherdan Shaqiri worked out somewhat well, to say the least.
Berge has made 80 appearances for United, scoring 11 goals and assisting a further nine, demonstrating a tendency to find success on the forward front while not neglecting his defensive and deep-lying playmaking duties, much like Henderson, that have earned him the interest from such prominent suitors.
Playing in the Championship with the high-flying Blades, the 32-cap Norway international ranks within the top 5% for dribbles completed, 3% for touches in the opposing penalty box and 4% for non-penalty goals when compared to midfielders across Europe’s ‘next eight’ leagues, as per FBref.
Hailed as a “Rolls-Royce” by teammate Rhian Brewster, Berge is capable of stepping back into the Premier League and starring for a top side, with his dip into the Championship after his reported £22m move a real testament to his strength, resilience and conduct, a triad of tests passed with flying colours.
Taking Henderson’s baton, Berge could assume the role the 74-cap England international currently plays in the team, slowly integrating into the fray and becoming a new figure capable of taking over and leading Liverpool toward a new era of glory.
Whether the midfield maestro finds himself at the centre of a concrete transfer offer in the near future will indeed remain to be seen, but with such excellent consistent performances that go in tandem with the Blades’ surge to second place in the Championship, a deal may yet be forged as the door soon opens for the winter transfer window.
