Sheffield United are prepared to alter their stance over the structure of payments that Arsenal would have to make to complete a deal for Sander Berge this summer, according to the Sheffield Star.

It has been regularly reported already this summer that Arsenal are interested in securing a deal for Berge and that the Gunners are leading the race for his potential signature.

There have also been reports that he has a £35 million buyout clause in his deal and that the Blades are not going to accept any offer that falls short of that valuation.

A recent report from the Sheffield Star outlined that the Blades are looking to secure the majority of the transfer fee they would be due for the midfielder upfront. While the same report added that there has been no official bid from Arsenal at this stage for Sheffield United’s £22 million signing.

However, according to the latest report from Sheffield Star, the Blades could now be ready to alter their stance over the structure of payments they would want Arsenal to implement as part of the deal.

That comes with it being thought they could soften their stance over wanting most of the money upfront. That though would be dependent on the Gunners agreeing to reduce or remove performance-related clauses that are unlikely to be met.

The verdict

This update should offer encouragement to Arsenal that they will be able to secure a permanent move for Berge this summer and it does also suggest that the Blades are open to negotiating over the 23-year-old. You would imagine then that should the Gunners want to seal this transfer then there will be plenty of opportunities for them to do so.

You can understand the Blades initially trying to hold out for the majority of the transfer fee for Berge upfront, as that would enable them to hand Slavisa Jokanovic an immediate boost to the money that he has available to strengthen the squad.

However, Sheffield United will not be wanting to lose out on the potential £35 million cash injection they could bring in from Berge’s sale. Therefore they are now going to be willing to work out the best way for Arsenal to structure the payments. It does seem from this that the potential move for the 23-year-old to the Gunners is more likely to go through now.