Sheffield United consider transfer move for Nottingham Forest man if Sander Berge leaves

Sheffield United could consider an approach for Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O’Brien if midfielder Sander Berge is prised away before Tuesday’s transfer deadline.

The Norwegian midfielder was left out of United’s FA Cup fourth-round tie at Wrexham this afternoon at the request of the club’s hierarchy, who are in dialogue with a number of clubs over selling Berge before the transfer window closes next week.

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Brighton and Hove Albion are the latest club to be credited with an interest in Berge, who is also being eyed by Newcastle United and Fulham.

And although Paul Heckingbottom, the United manager, reiterated his desire to keep hold of one of his star men this window, he admitted after the Wrexham draw that financial pressues may force the hand of the Bramall Lane hierarchy despite their remarkable league position, which sees them sit 12 points clear of third-placed Middlesbrough with a game in hand.

The potential money raised would the money worries and see the embargo lifted, with Heckingbottom keen to sign a replacement for Berge and the already-departed Reda Khadra if the former leaves this window.

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“We’ve had lots of things we’ve had to deal with and this is just something we’ve got to deal with,” Heckingbottom said.

“If the worst happened and we lost Sander, we’ve given the club a couple of players for the two we’d have lost [Berge and Reda Khadra]. We’d be out of embargo and we should go and get them.

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“He’d be a big loss. We worked hard to get this squad together in terms of the balance and how competitive we’ve made it and that’s shown. The simple thing for me is to keep it together.”

O’Brien had previously been thought to be heading to West Bromwich Albion after Forest gave the green-light for him to leave. He joined Forest in the summer from Huddersfield Town but has made only six starts since