January 19th 2025.
Ashley Williams had nothing but praise for a certain Premier League player who caught his eye. What made this player stand out even more was the fact that he had turned down the opportunity to play for Manchester United last summer. The Red Devils were on the hunt for new talent before the season began, with their former manager, Erik ten Hag, particularly interested in strengthening their defensive midfield options.
After much speculation and a lengthy search, United eventually signed Manuel Ugarte from PSG for a whopping £50.7 million. However, before making this big move, they had considered a much more affordable option from the Championship - Sander Berge. It was quite surprising to see that United were interested in a player who had previously been relegated from the Premier League twice, first with Sheffield United and then with Burnley last season. Some even joked that if United were to sign the Norwegian international, they too would suffer the same fate. But in the end, Berge chose to join Fulham for a fee of £20 million.
Since then, Berge has become an integral part of Fulham's team under manager Marco Silva. He has helped the Cottagers climb up to ninth position in the league table, just five points behind the top four. On the other hand, Ugarte has yet to make a significant impact at Old Trafford, with United struggling in 13th place as they prepare for their upcoming match against Brighton.
Discussing Berge's recent performances after Fulham's 2-0 win against Leicester, former Swansea and Everton defender Ashley Williams spoke highly of him on Match of the Day. He praised Berge for his hard work and ability to fly under the radar, saying, "This man came back into the team after missing the last four games and I thought he was excellent all day. As a centre-back, he's the type of centre-midfielder you want in front of you - getting into the holes, filling spaces, interceptions, just doing the dirty work."
Williams also highlighted the importance of Berge in Fulham's success this season, stating that players like Alex Iwobi, Harry Wilson, Andreas Pereira, and Emile Smith Rowe wouldn't be able to showcase their skills without him. He appreciated Berge's simplicity on the field, as he is content with playing in the midfield, breaking up opposing team's attacks, and distributing the ball to more attacking players.
According to Williams, Berge's presence in the team has made up for the absence of Joao Palhinha, who was a crucial player for Fulham. He also commended Berge's abilities on the ball, saying, "He's so good in possession as well." Meanwhile, Ugarte's struggles at United cannot be solely blamed on him, as the entire team has been underperforming this season.
However, in recent games, the 23-year-old Ugarte has shown signs of improvement, with United legend Paul Scholes praising his performance in their 2-2 draw against Liverpool. Scholes believes that Ugarte has what it takes to play for United and was pleasantly surprised by his quality on the ball. He also mentioned that the player's current manager, Ruben Amorim, had previously worked with him at Sporting Lisbon, where Ugarte impressed him as a young player.
Scholes was impressed by Ugarte's confidence and his ability to contribute both defensively and offensively. He also praised his composure on the ball. Clearly, Ugarte has been growing in confidence and is slowly but surely making a name for himself at United.
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