Everton failed to meet Sander Berge’s minimal price tag in 2016 – and now risk missing out once again with La Liga giants Sevilla keen.
Genk midfielder Sander Berge is exactly the sort of individual Everton have made a habit of targeting. He is young at just 19, has bags of potential and is the sort of technically gifted player that would have little difficulty adapting to the style of football expected at Goodison Park.
That does not mean that Berge is destined to wear the Everton blue, however. According to Norwegian legend Kjetil Rekdal, the teenager’s manager at former club Valerenga, The Toffees missed the chance to bring Berge to the Premier League because they were outbid – by Belgian side Genk.
“Of course, Sander wanted to go to the Premier League, but Everton weren’t being generous enough. Genk were offering more,” Rekdal told AftenPosten of Berge, who cost as little as £1.8 million when moving to Belgium in January.
“I told their CEO and director of football that Berge would be their best transfer. I think I convinced them to break their piggy bank and I think they’re glad to have done so.”
Just a reminder, this is an Everton side who broke their transfer record three times since Farhad Moshiri became majority shareholder in 2016 and spent £140 million this summer alone. They couldn’t spare £1.8 million.
And it appears that Everton could miss out again. The Mirror reported in June that The Toffees are still interested despite Berge’s price-tag swelling to £18 million but Spanish side Sevilla are ready to play hard-ball.
The Andalusian side’s president Jose Castro, confirmed to Fichajes.net that one of Europe’s most impressive clubs when it comes to recruitment have been tracking Berge extensively.
Everton, then, look like missing out on one of Europe’s most exciting young midfielders for the second time. Suddenly, that £1.8 million doesn’t seem quite so much.
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