Man Utd plot £40m Sander Berge swoop as INEOS target third summer midfield addition

According to The Evening Standard, United are considering a swoop for Fulham midfielder Berge as part of a midfield reinforcement. The Old Trafford hierarchy view the Norwegian international as a highly attainable and cost-effective alternative to other options on their radar, such as AS Roma's Manu Kone. This pursuit follows decisive summer planning, where sporting director Jason Wilcox held direct talks with Michael Carrick to outline the team's midfield depth.

Ex-United assistant manager Rene Meulensteen has outlined the specific midfield profiles the club should target in the current transfer window. Speaking to Tipman Tips, Sir Alex Ferguson's former right-hand man said: "United need to sign at least two, if not three midfielders this transfer window. That’s the position where they have to really, really strengthen, especially with more competitions coming up.

"What United needs is diversity in its recruitment, instead of bringing three of the same type of players in. You’ve already got Kobbie Mainoo, who’s a good ball player and he brings good energy to the team. So, what they need is a player that is very dynamic and strong."

Shifting his focus to specific individuals, Meulensteen highlighted two standout Premier League talents who perfectly match his tactical criteria. He added: "I always like good, technical footballers in the midfield. I’ve liked Adam Wharton for United for a while now, because he is so good on the ball, very calm under pressure. He finds any of those front five with one decisive pass, and he rips the opposition right open, and I love that. [Carlos] Baleba is again, a very young, very promising player, very dynamic, quick, but slightly different to the others I’ve mentioned."

This aggressive market approach is designed to provide sufficient squad depth to handle a gruelling schedule across four competitions next season. Having already secured Santos and Tielemans, recruitment chiefs want a final anchor man to fill the void left by Casemiro’s free transfer exit and Manuel Ugarte’s long-term World Cup injury. Consequently, securing a powerful and dynamic presence like Berge before the pre-season deadline has become the club's absolute priority.