Premier League duo Arsenal and Everton are at the centre of a tug-of-war battle for highly-rated Genk midfielder Sander Berge, according to the Mirror.
The newspaper claim that Arsenal scouts have been closely monitoring the player for several months and are hoping to steal a march on their rivals for his signature this summer.
Berge, 19, moved to Genk from Valerenga on a four-year deal just six months ago, but the Gunners are leading a high-profile contingent looking to cut his stay at the Belgian giants considerably short.
Arsenal’s continued flirtations with the player has seen them boast a positive relationship with Berge’s representatives, and a deal worth at least £18million could now be on the cards.
The defensive-midfield ace has already been capped twice by the Norway senior national team, and Arsene Wenger values him as a considerable upgrade to his two current options, Francis Coquelin and Mohamed Elneny.
Wenger is likely to make changes to his midfield this summer after yet another disappointing performance in the Premier League, where they finished outside the top-four last season.
Summer signing Granit Xhaka and long-time servant Aaron Ramsey also struggled to perform consistently for Arsenal last term, and a move for young prodigy Berge could “free up” the pair.
Everton, meanwhile, are seeking further midfield reinforcements despite adding Davy Klaassen to their ranks this week, with Morgan Schneiderlin also having arrived in January.
But the English pair, who are both set to appear in the Europa League next season, will face competition for his signature from Champions League duo AS Monaco and Sevilla.