Champions League opponent drops Liverpool transfer hint
Genk midfielder Sander Berge has professed he would “like to play at Anfield as often as possible” following his side’s recent 2-1 loss there in the Champions League group stage.
Clearly emboldened by the experience, Berge told Norwegian TV2:
“Playing at Anfield is a dream for everyone in the world, and not least for Norwegians.
“Liverpool are the best team and have the most fans.
“So I could certainly like to play at Anfield as often as possible.”
The 21-year-old, who has already been capped 19 times by Norway, caught the eye at Anfield, making two tackles and recording a better pass completion ratio than nine of his ten starting team-mates.
Standing at 195cm (6ft 5 in), he would certainly bring added height to Liverpool’s midfield were he ever to bolster what is currently a crowded area in their squad.
While it may seem unlikely Liverpool would add to it in the near future given their plethora of options, Genk sporting director, Dimitri De Conde, has added validity to the story, confirming to Radio Punto Nuovo that Liverpool and their manager Jurgen Klopp are indeed a fan of the player:
“We know Liverpool follow him carefully.
“Klopp spoke to the boy after the Anfield game, congratulating him on his performance.”
However, according to De Conde, there would be stern competition from abroad for Berge should the Reds move for him:
“If Napoli has already blocked Berge? I read it and it’s not like that.
“Napoli are interested in Sander and it’s a possibility.
“In Italy there are clubs that follow Berge and Napoli could be one of these, but to date we have no concrete offers on the table.
“It could even change in the coming weeks. Our intention is to hold onto Sander until the end of the season, but we can’t make any predictions.
“If the big clubs come knocking at our door, we will have to start negotiations, just as the agent has to do.”
Speculation has linked him with a move away from Belgium for around £18m, but De Conde was tighter-lipped on a valuation for the midfielder:
“The current valuation of Berge? We do not talk about figures; we do not set a price at the moment. We will see when we find ourselves in a negotiation.”
He certainly seems one to keep an eye on.
