Sources: West Ham to lodge £10m+ bid this weekend

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Published on:

04 Jan 2020, 1:30 pm

West Ham are set to submit an offer for Genk midfielder Sander Berge this weekend, Football Insider can reveal.

The Hammers have prioritised the signing of a central midfielder this month and are working through a shortlist of targets.

A West Ham source has told Football Insider that the club will make a formal move for Berge after indications his club in Belgium may be open to selling him this month.

The Premier League club are expected to offer in excess of £10million for Berge, who has a contract at Genk that expires in 18 months.

The Belgian club announced the signing of midfielder Kristian Thorstvedt, 20, yesterday and this has been interpreted in some quarters as an indication in-demand Berge may be sold.

The 20-times Norway international is firmly on the radar of West Ham as they look to provide competition and cover for central midfield pairing Declan Rice and Mark Noble.

The move for Berge comes after Football Insider revealed the Londoners are also tabling a bid for £15million-valued Stoke City midfielder Joe Allen.

The Hammers are keeping their options open in case potential deals fall through or a fee and terms cannot be agreed.

Berge does not have the extensive Premier League experience of 29-year-old Allen, who joined Stoke from Liverpool in 2016 after a previously distinguished spell at Swansea City.

But, aged 21, he is regarded as West Ham as having more potential than the Wales international.

In other West Ham news, it can be REVEALED that the club have opened talks with Joe Cole.

West Ham United