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Sander Berge left Genk for Sheffield United in the winter 2020 market and signed a long-term contract with the Blades.

Having completed a year in England, the midfielder is unlikely to stay at Bramall Lane for a long time.

That’s according to Norway’s TV2, who say it’s ‘only a matter of time’ before he leaves the Premier League side.

TV2 have also interviewed Chris Wilder and the Sheffield United manager admitted the 23-year-old sees the club as a stepping stone to make a big move to a top team.

“I think this [Sheffield United] has always been a springboard for Sander. He wants to play at the highest level, he wants to play Champions League regularly and he wants to play for a top team,” Wilder said.

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“We gave him an opportunity to show off his skills and he has taken it. If he plays well, he makes us a better team, but I know that day will come.

“I know Sander won’t be here until he’s 32, but we enjoy working with him and hopefully he has a few games left as a Sheffield United player. I understand, if he goes and if it happens, then it happens with our blessing.

“I wish Sander all the best. Do I think he can play for a top club? Absolutely, but for that to happen, he has to keep doing well here.”

The Norway international has been sidelined since he picked up an injury in his side’s 3-2 defeat against Manchester United in December.

Wilder admitted Berge has been a big miss for Sheffield United, who are currently bottom of the table.

“To lose such an influential player was really disappointing for both us and him. Hopefully he gets the last 6-8 weeks of the season. He is working hard and he is in good place at the moment,” Wilder explained.

Sheffield United are 14 points behind 17th place Newcastle United and seven points behind 18th place Fulham. Their manager hasn’t given up hope of staying in the Premier League.

“We’ve got a huge challenge ahead of us, but the players are playing pretty well at the moment,” he added.

“We have some tough games ahead of us, but we know we can win games in this division. We’ve got to have a bit of luck; we’ve got to stay healthy and hopefully we’ll get some players back from injury pretty soon.

“I think we can make it uncomfortable for those teams above us. I can’t sit here predicting how many games we’re going to win, but I think we can win football matches and hopefully we win enough to stay in the division.”