Manchester United are eyeing up one new surprising midfield option, having been 'unwilling' to meet Paris Saint-Germain's hefty £51million asking price for Uruguayan star Manuel Ugarte.
While Erik ten Hag's side have been keen to invest in a new set of full-backs, United are also looking to bolster their midfield stocks, with uncertainty shrouding Scott McTominay's future at Old Trafford.
Mail Sport understands that Fulham are keen to land the Scottish midfielder and have tabled a £23m bid. It comes after West Ham had offered £30m for the 27-year-old last summer, with his contract set to expire in 2025.
United could also offload Casemiro during the transfer window, with the Brazilian having struggled to impress under Ten Hag since joining two seasons ago.
Having already signed Leny Yoro this summer and Joshua Zirkzee, Man United had also expressed an interest in signing Ugarte but their attempts to sign him appear to have waned due to PSG's high price tag.
Reports from Fabrizio Romano had also emerged that United 'had agreed personal terms with Ugarte' two weeks ago. Mail Sport subsequently wrote that McTominay and Casemiro could both be offloaded to recoup funds to sign the midfielder.
But it seems United will now look elsewhere and according to The Athletic, they have expressed an interest Burnley's Sander Berge instead.
The outlet also claims that club officials have 'made contact with the 26-year-old's camp.'
The Athletic adds that Burnley could be prepared to sell Berge, who joined the club almost one year ago from Sheffield United but was relegated with the Clarets last season.
Interest in the midfielder may have been sparked among some at United, after he produced an excellent performance at Old Trafford last season, helping Burnely rescue a 1-1 draw in the 87th minute.
During the 2024-25 campagin, he made 40 appearances for the Clarets, returning two goals and two assists across all competitions.
The Norwegian has 46 caps for his country and is a towering presence in midfield.
While he possesses an elite level of strength to hold the ball up and lay off to his team-mates, he also has an excellent range of passing that would allow him to both maintain possession but also advance play upfield.
Mason Mount, meanwhile, has been returning to action for the Red Devils having made just 20 appearances and eight starts last season due largely to injury.
The 25-year-old stated that he is determined to make up for lost time this season, adding that United have a group that can win trophies.
‘I definitely feel this is a fresh start,’ he said at United’s base in Los Angeles. ‘I’m in a really good position at the moment so I can’t wait to get on that pitch and try to do the best I can. I’m really looking forward to it. I feel strong, I feel fit so we’ll keep going and keep working hard.’
He added: ‘We definitely have a group that can win trophies, and that’s the most important thing. We’ll keep trying to do that and stay focused on that goal because this is Manchester United and we need to set the bar as high as we can.
‘We know how high the bar is and now it’s time for us to perform but we’re ready for it. As many trophies as we can get and win as many games as we can. That’s our focus throughout the whole group. We’re definitely on the same page.’
