Chelsea explored move for Fulham midfielder Berge
September 7, 2026 16:03
Chelsea surveyed Fulham midfielder Sander Berge late in the summer window as they sought to add a central midfielder ahead of Enzo Fernández's move to Manchester City. The club ultimately sold Fernández for £125m and did not recruit a direct replacement before the deadline.
It is understood Berge was one of the names considered, but Chelsea did not submit a formal offer and Fulham deemed the 28-year-old unavailable.
KEY CONTEXT
Berge joined Fulham from Burnley in 2023 and has been a regular, accumulating 78 appearances for the Cottagers. Chelsea concentrated deadline-day efforts on Monaco’s Lamine Camara and Roma’s Manu Kone, and believed a £47m agreement for Camara had been reached before that deal collapsed shortly before the window closed. Separate reports of interest in Everton’s James Garner were denied by manager David Moyes.
Chelsea’s midfield shortfall was underlined by their recent defeat to Arsenal, when manager Xabi Alonso finished the game with full-backs Reece James and Malo Gusto deployed in central midfield.
WHY IT MATTERS
Selling Fernández without replacing him left Chelsea light in central midfield heading into the season, a gap that influenced tactical compromises in matches. The collapse of late-window targets means recruitment of a midfielder is likely to remain a priority, affecting transfer strategy and match selection in the coming months.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
- Whether Chelsea will pursue a central midfielder in January, with Bournemouth’s Alex Scott named among reported long-term targets.
- The club’s attempts to revive interest in other targets previously linked to them.
- Moisés Caicedo’s recovery: he missed the Arsenal game but is hoping to be available for Chelsea’s home match against Hull (kick-off 15:00 BST on Saturday).
KEY FACTS
- Enzo Fernández was sold to Manchester City for £125m; no replacement was signed before the summer deadline.
- Sander Berge (28) was among midfield options explored; Chelsea made no formal bid and Fulham considered him not for sale.
- Berge has made 78 appearances for Fulham since his 2023 arrival from Burnley.
- Chelsea believed they had agreed a £47m deal for Lamine Camara, but that move collapsed minutes before the deadline.
- Reports of an approach for Everton’s James Garner were refuted by manager David Moyes.
- Xabi Alonso used Reece James and Malo Gusto in central midfield during the Arsenal defeat.