Aston Villa are reportedly interested in signing Sheffield United midfielder Sander Berge ahead of the 2021/22 season, according to Birmingham Live. 

Berge signed for the Blades back in 2020, and has gone on to make 32 appearances in total for the club, although his efforts weren't quite enough this term, as Sheffield United were relegated back into the Championship.

But Berge's performances evidently haven't gone unnoticed, with the Norwegian international attracting interest from both Aston Villa and Arsenal.

We take a look at Aston Villa's interest in signing Berge this summer in more detail.

What do we know so far? 

Berge is contracted with Sheffield United until the summer of 2024, and Sheffield United aren't willing to allow him to leave on the cheap anytime soon.

It has recently been reported by The Star that the Blades aren't willing to sell him for a fee below £35million, and it remains to be seen as to whether Dean Smith's side have submitted a formal offer for his services.

Aston Villa will face tough competition to strike a deal to sign Berge as well, with Arsenal's interest in landing his signature being well-documented in recent weeks.

Arsenal are yet to make a formal offer for Berge either at this stage, although they're believed to be keeping tabs on the 23-year-old, as they look to strengthen their midfield options.

 

 

Is it likely to happen? 

It certainly wouldn't come as a surprise to see Berge head to Villa Park this summer.

Aston Villa are more likely to be able to offer Berge regular game time compared to Arsenal, which could see them move ahead of the Gunners in the race to sign him.

But it'll be interesting to see if Villa are willing to match Sheffield United's valuation of Berge, as they clearly rate him highly if they're not willing to move him on for anything less than £35million ahead of the new season, which is set to get underway in August.

At the age of 23, this could be a smart signing both in the short-term, and for the long-term vision of Aston Villa, as they're definitely heading in the right direction in the Premier League, after finishing 11th in the top-flight standings last term.