Burnley receive transfer enquiry from Fenerbahce for 2023 summer signing | OneFootball

Berge has become of interest to Jose Mourinho's new side

Turkish Süper Lig giants Fenerbahçe have submitted an inquiry regarding the availability of Burnley midfielder, Sander Berge.

That's according to an exclusive and fresh update from Turkish journalist and Sports Digitale reporter Yağız Sabuncuoğlu.

Burnley are in the midst of a rebuilding process under Scott Parker, who was recently appointed at Turf Moor, just over a month after Vincent Kompany's well-documented and surprise exit to Bayern Munich after relegation from the Premier League was confirmed in May.

As is so often the case when a side comes down from the top flight, they face an onslaught of transfer rumours across the summer transfer window linking their most valuable names to Premier League sides or highly-reputable outfits across the continent.

And, despite a number of high-quality players still on the books in East Lancashire at present, this latest bout of speculation, which comes after another well-documented exit - Aro Muric to Ipswich Town - proves that Burnley will continue to face a battle between now and transfer deadline day to retain the services of some key names.

Burnley midfielder Sander Berge monitored by Fenerbahçe

Highly-reputable Turkish transfer guru Sabuncuoğlu claims that the Norwegian central midfielder is of interest to Fenerbahce, who will be competing in the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds next week.

No further details in Sabuncuoğlu's update regarding a potential transfer battle between Burnley and the Istanbul-based outfit - now managed by Jose Mourinho - have emerged, other than the fact that an inquiry has been submitted regarding Berge's availability on the transfer market in the weeks to come.

If a deal was to be agreed further down the line, Berge would join a squad stacked with talent in the middle of the park, which includes former Manchester United midfielder Fred and Polish playmaker, Sebastian Symanski, both of whom netted as the 'Special One's new chargers imposed a 5-1 defeat on Hull City on Thursday at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium.

The 26-year-old has become somewhat of a household name in both the Championship and Premier League in recent years, firstly through being such an admirable performer during his time at Sheffield United after joining in 2020 under Chris Wilder.

Despite the Blades' well-documented financial struggles after gaining promotion alongside the Clarets last season, the South Yorkshire outfit sanctioned Berge's exit across the Pennines for a fee in the region of £12m on an initial four-year contract.

Although the Clarets succumbed to relegation - the second Berge now has from the top flight on his CV - he was one player among the ranks whose performances were of a steady and consistent nature despite the team's overall struggles, registering one goal and two assists, as well as other metrics such as the creation of five big chances for his team mates, as well as averaging 0.8 key passes per 90 minutes.

Burnley must hold strong stance amid potential Sander Berge, Josh Brownhill exit talk

Unquestionably, Burnley must hold a bullish stance in any potential exit for Berge, not just because of his own quality, but due to other factors.

Followers of the Championship have become accustomed to Parker having two combative performers capable of breaking up play and creating chances in equal measure - think Jean Michael Seri and Harrison Reed from his time at Fulham, as well as Jefferson Lerma and Philip Billing whilst in charge of AFC Bournemouth.

Given their individual quality, it's no surprise that other clubs have taken a fancy to Berge and Josh Brownhill, who has been linked with a move to Steven Gerrard's Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League.

Both have showcased their ability at Championship level before, so the chance to test themselves in new environments - particularly in the Champions League and top of the Super Lig table under Mourinho for Berge's sake, would be understandable head turners.

However, Chairman Alan Pace mustn't look to accept any offers that match or are below the £12 million paid to Sheffield United last summer - they must make a profit on the powerful Scandinavian.