Newcastle United have reportedly been dealt a blow in their hopes of signing January transfer target Sander Berge in the summer.

The Lowdown: January transfer target

The Norwegian was reportedly a target for the St James' Park outfit towards the end of last month after they let midfielder Jonjo Shelvey depart for Nottingham Forest.

A move to Tyneside never materialised in the end, so midfield is an area that PIF may look to readdress in the summer transfer window.

The Latest: Berge to stay beyond the summer

As per The Sun, Berge is now set to see out his deal at Sheffield United until 2024, meaning that he will not leave this summer and instead become a free agent at the end of next season.

This is a blow to Newcastle, who wanted to sign him in January along with Fulham in a potential £20m deal. Instead, it looks like the 24-year-old will be given a season in the Premier League to impress other possible suitors, assuming that the Blades earn promotion from the Championship this year, which seems very likely they are ten points clear in an automatic promotion spot.

The Verdict: Big blow for Newcastle

This news will come as a big blow to Newcastle supporters, as Berge would have been a valuable addition to their squad for next season.

Hailed as a ‘physical beast‘ by football writer Sebastien Pedersen, and a ‘Rolls-Royce‘ by his Blades team-mate Chris Basham, the 6 foot 5 colossus has all of the attributes to thrive in the Premier League.

As per FBref, he ranks in the 99th percentile for progressive carries and touches per game among midfielders in Europe outside of the top five leagues, while also ranking highly in a number of other key metrics.

Eddie Howe's team could have picked up Berge at the age of just 24, with him probably just coming into his peak years now, so losing out on him this summer is certainly not ideal.