Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom has admitted that Sander Berge will be allowed to leave Bramall Lane if a club meets their asking price.

Liverpool are the latest team to be linked with a move for the Norwegian international and, when asked about the player’s future, Heckingbottom said the Blades have set their valuation:

“If he does move because of the buyout then we are going to need another good player, aren’t we? There is an internal value and the external value. The internal value is priceless as far as I’m concerned, although there is a value on him. But there is an external one too. If I’m realistic, what he goes for I’m not going to get all of that. And it would be unfair then on whoever comes in to have people think that they are going to replace him. That’s why I’m trying to protect the team and make people aware of the pro’s and the con’s”

As Heckingbottom mentions, Berge does have a release clause but the Blades are thought to have accepted that no team will pay the £35m buyout fee.

It is believed that if someone comes in with an offer that matches the £22m the Yorkshire club paid Genk for the player two and a half years ago, then they will seriously consider selling.

At the moment, the reports about Liverpool’s interest in Berge are rather flimsy, although manager Jurgen Klopp has expressed his admiration for the player in the past when the midfielder came up against the Reds in the Champions League.