Liverpool Start Charm Offensive for Man Utd Target Sander Berge as Genk Chief Confirms Interest

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Liverpool are among the clubs interested in star Genk midfielder Sander Berge, according to the club's sporting director Dimitri De Conde, but have yet to formalise their interest with a bid.

However, there are signs that the Reds might just be putting on something of a charm offensive to woo the starlet, led by Jurgen Klopp and Virgil van Dijk.

​90min reported back in October that ​Manchester United had made 21-year-old Berge a target, while the midfielder has been watched by all of the Premier League's 'big six'.

However, Berge's displays against Liverpool in the Champions League group stage this season seem to have caught the Reds attention further. Klopp called Berge - who is often valued at £25m in the gossip columns - a 'very interesting' player'.

In response, Berge told Norwegian outlet VG that it was a 'great moment' to be complimented by Klopp.

Interestingly, Klopp was not the only one to approach Berge during Liverpool's meetings with Genk this season.

The young midfielder revealed to ​TV2 that Virgil van Dijk waited 10 minutes in the tunnel to swap shirts after their encounter, while Berge called Liverpool's players 'the nicest, most polite and respectful' he had ever met.

In addition, Berge also admitted in the same interview that he would love to return to Merseyside in the future.

He is quoted as saying: "Playing at Anfield is a dream for everyone in the world, and not least for Norwegians. Liverpool are the best team and has the most fans. So I could definitely plan to play at Anfield as often as possible.”

Genk director De Conde has also directly acknowledged Liverpool's 'interest' but revealed the Premier League leaders are not the only ones in the hunt, as he namechecked Napoli.

He told Radio Punto Nuovo, via Football Italia: "Napoli are interested in Sander, it's a possiblity. We also know that Liverpool are also interested.

"There are clubs in Italy who are following Berge and Napoli could be one of them, but at this stage, there are no offers on the table. From next week, things could change."

The deep-lying midfielder, who is 6ft 5in, won the Belgian First Division A last season with Genk and already has 18 senior appearances for Norway.