Arsenal are reportedly set to make a bid for highly-rated Genk defensive midfielder Sander Berge, with an £18m swoop being touted.
Arsene Wenger will be looking to strengthen his squad where possible this summer, as they will be desperate to get back into the top four in the Premier League next season.
Sead Kolasinac has already joined the club, but many more are expected to follow him through the entrance door. According to The Mirror, Berge could be one of them, with Gunners scouts said to have been keeping a close eye on the 19-year-old for months.
There is a problem in that Sevilla, Monaco and Everton are all said to be interested in the youngster, and while on the face of it his £18m price-tag would also stand out as a possible obstacle, it’s added in the report that Arsenal would have no problem meeting the valuation.
With the likes of Francis Coquelin and Mohamed Elneny failing to prove that they can consistently deliver at the highest level, perhaps it’s time for Wenger to bring in a long-term solution in that department, which in turn will allow his more creative midfielders to have more freedom knowing that there’s additional solidity behind them.
Nevertheless, it’s a lot of money for a relatively unknown teenager, even though he’s racked up plenty of experience with Valerenga and Genk, while he’s already made two appearances with the senior Norway squad.
As shown with Rob Holding last summer, Wenger knows how to pick out a promising youngster with a bright future ahead of him, and although this is of course much more expensive than that signing, the French tactician will hope it’s equally as successful if he can find an agreement.