James Shield: Sheffield United, Sander Berge, Brugge, Liverpool and of course AC Milan...a very moden transfer saga

I get why some folk backed the Elite Player Performance Plan, when it was first introduced several moons ago. But let’s not kid ourselves. Although the architects of this scheme wrapped it in some well-meaning language, it was only rolled-out because it suited the country’s leading sides. Not the young players it was ostensibly designed to help.

If we are to believe everything we read - and yes, I appreciate that’s not something a journalist would usually say - then Milan’s talent spotters will soon be jostling for space with their counterparts from the Etihad and Old Trafford on the touchline at the Randox Health Academy. Why? Because officials at the San Siro, (or the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza for all you football hipsters out there), seem to be mighty big admirers of Paul Heckingbottom’s squad.

MORE: https://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football/sheffield-united/sheffield-united-james-mcatee-sander-berge-and-the-big-midfield-decisions-3811019

First, after supposedly preparing a bid for Ismaila Coulibaly, which for unexplained reasons never actually materialised, Stefano Piolo’s paymasters are now said to be keen on Sander Berge. The Norway international, who helped create a goal during last night’s win over Sunderland, has already been the subject of interest from Club Brugge having carried his impressive form towards the end of last season into the new campaign. Now, if stories appearing in some quarters of the internet are to be believed, I Rossoneri are sniffing around his magical lime green boots. Oh, and Liverpool too.

For the purposes of this column, the veracity of this rumour isn’t important. Okay, reports linking Berge with the reigning Italian champions are more plausible than those claiming Coulibaly was destined to link up with the likes of Olivier Giroud, Fikayo Tomori and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. If the young Malian wasn’t quite ready for United’s first team after returning from a spell on loan with Beerschot, before injury impeded his progress, it’s doubtful he was being courted by a side whose honours list requires its own page on Wikipedia.

MORE: https://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football/sheffield-united/sander-berges-sheffield-united-situation-could-define-next-season-and-beyond-james-shield-3767944

But what I suspect we are witnessing with Berge, as we did with his young team mate, is a classic example of how modern day transfers play out. Both from the perspective of the target themselves and also those surrounding them; including their representatives and also employers.

Of course, Berge is the central character in a drama which has been updated, repackaged and reprised during every single window since United were relegated from the top-flight two seasons ago. Let’s not beat around the bush. He wants to move on. Otherwise he would have instructed his representatives to stop “getting busy” as one senior figure behind the scenes put it not so long ago.

But Heckingbottom, who effectively admitted as much when he called Berge “ambitious” ahead of Saturday’s game against Blackburn Rovers, has a key role in this story too. By reminding the 24-year-old is under contract and stressing he wants to keep him because it’s a manager’s job to “protect the team,” the former Barnsley, Leeds and Hibernian chief is letting it be known he won’t be responsible for any decision to let sell Berge for less than than £35m release clause contained within his present agreement. And again, being brutally honest, Heckingbottom wouldn’t be drawing his position unless he feared that was a possibility.

MORE: https://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football/sheffield-united/sander-berge-sheffield-united-in-admission-over-midfielders-future-as-liverpool-reportedly-linked-3810105

Which brings me to United themselves. Or rather some of those folk tasked with running the whole operating and setting budgets.

We already know, because one of them has stated as much, that United are prepared to consider any bid which offers them a return on the £22m they paid to sign Berge from Genk. That much is obvious because otherwise Brugge, who certainly won’t stump up anything near the figure which would guarantee his exit, wouldn’t have bothered trying to gain a seat around the negotiating table.

And if Milan really do view Berge as a viable alternative to Midtjylland’s Raphael Onyedika, as we are being told, then how come? The Dane’s £8m valuation is supposedly viewed by Piolo and his sporting director Ricky Massara as being too high, which makes it unlikely they’d include someone who might cost more than four times that amount on their list of other options.

Although none of this makes much sense, it suits those people at United who think it’s a good idea to cash in on Berge to generate an auction by chucking Milan’s name into the mix. I’m not saying this is what they have done, dropping their name into conversation with friendly journalists or content generators for internet websites. Massara might genuinely be keen. But even if he isn’t, no one at Bramall Lane or any of the third parties purporting to act on their behalf will be too distraught to see newspapers and websites running with this story. Because it keeps Berge’s name front and centre of the news agenda.

The only person who will be frustrated is Heckingbottom. And even he knows how the game is played.

If Berge does go, it will deal a blow to United’s hopes of gaining promotion. Not a fatal one, I grant you. But a huge one nonetheless, even though he could be so much better than he is with a shade more aggression.

Still, someone else will come along to fill the void. And after a year or so, the way things are going, expect them to be linked with Milan.

MORE: https://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football/sheffield-united/sheffield-united-boss-believes-nottingham-forest-and-olympiakos-target-max-lowe-is-ready-for-lift-off-3810633