Chelsea Considered Fulham Midfielder Berge Late On, but Never Made a Formal Offer

Chelsea considered signing Fulham midfielder Sander Berge before the summer transfer window closed as preparation for Enzo Fernandez's move to Manchester City, but ultimately did not make a formal offer.

Berge entered Chelsea's sights, but it never reached the stage of an offer.

According to BBC Sport, before Fernandez's £125 million transfer to Manchester City, Chelsea listed Berge as one of several midfield options. The 28-year-old Norway international joined Fulham from Burnley and has already made 78 appearances for the club, becoming an important member of the squad. His physical strength, defensive protection and Premier League experience made him a reasonable option for Chelsea to consider.

However, Chelsea's interest in Berge remained at the exploratory stage and never progressed to a formal offer. Fulham's stance was also clear: they did not want to sell one of their most important players so close to the end of the window, making the deal difficult from the beginning. Fulham considered Berge unavailable for sale.

Berge was not the only target Chelsea missed, with two other options also unavailable.

Chelsea then shifted more attention toward other targets, including Lamine Camara and Manu Kone, but failed to sign either player before the deadline. As a result, Xabi Alonso did not have a direct replacement available after Fernandez's departure.

The consequences have already appeared. According to The Guardian, after Chelsea's 2-1 defeat to Arsenal, midfield became one of Alonso's biggest concerns at the start of the season. Moises Caicedo has faced fitness issues, Romeo Lavia is still recovering his match condition, and midfield options are limited.

Looking back, Berge could have filled the gap Chelsea needed to address.

In hindsight, Chelsea's interest in Berge was understandable. He could not replace Fernandez's creativity, but he could have given Alonso a stronger physical presence and more defensive security in central areas, which are exactly the qualities Chelsea appear to be lacking.

It is also understandable that Chelsea did not force the deal through. Paying an inflated late-window fee for a player Fulham did not want to sell could easily have become a poor piece of business. The bigger issue was that Chelsea did not secure another midfielder before selling Fernandez.

Chelsea must now rely more on internal solutions until January, including Lavia, Malo Gusto and other versatile players. Berge may not have been the high-profile signing fans expected, but his Premier League experience and tactical discipline could have immediately made Chelsea more balanced.