Arne Slot is keen to retain Liverpool star Sepp van den Berg as Bundesliga sides circle

Liverpool FC’s coaching staff, led by Arne Slot, have been thoroughly impressed with Sepp van den Berg and his performances throughout the pre-season. The Dutch defender, who spent last season on loan with Mainz 05 in the Bundesliga, has caught the eye of several top-flight German clubs, sparking widespread interest ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

According to Florian Plettenberg of Sky Germany via X, six Bundesliga clubs—Stuttgart, Hoffenheim, Wolfsburg, Mainz, Borussia Monchengladbach, and Bayer Leverkusen—are all eager to secure Van den Berg’s services. Despite this strong interest, Liverpool has rejected multiple offers as they hold out for a fee in the region of £20-25 million for the 22-year-old.

🚨Stuttgart, Hoffenheim, Wolfsburg, Mainz, M’gladbach and Leverkusen are/were all keen to sign Sepp van den Berg ✔️

Some teams have made concrete offers to Liverpool for the 22 y/o defender but they were all rejected. Some teams still hope for a loan (Mainz).

But: #LFC demand… pic.twitter.com/c9qqOSZQhx
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) August 8, 2024

Mainz, where Van den Berg had a successful loan spell last season, are keen on bringing the defender back on loan. However, Liverpool seems more inclined to entertain only permanent transfer deals for the Dutchman. Despite the tempting offers from Germany, Arne Slot is keen on keeping Van den Berg at Anfield, especially after being impressed by his solid pre-season form.

Apart from Mainz, there is a flurry of Bundesliga sides monitoring Van den Berg’s situation. This included TSG Hoffenheim, VfL Wolfsburg, Mainz, Borussia Monchengladbach, and Bayer Leverkusen. Leverkusen is an interesting one as they are also ready to sell Liverpool target Piero Hincapie. Whether the Reds can use Sepp as leverage to engineer a deal for the Ecuadorian remains to be seen.

Arne Slot is keen to retain Liverpool star Sepp van den Berg as Bundesliga sides circle.

With the departure of Joel Matip at the end of last season, a gap has opened up in Liverpool’s central defence. This presents a prime opportunity for Van den Berg to establish himself as a regular in Slot’s squad. While Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate are expected to be the starting centre-backs, Van den Berg’s consistent pre-season performances could give him an edge over the competition, including Joe Gomez.

The decision on Van den Berg’s future has yet to be finalized, with Liverpool weighing their options as the new season approaches. Slot’s desire to retain the young defender could significantly impact the club’s defensive plans for the upcoming season.

More Liverpool News

By keeping Van den Berg, Liverpool may avoid the need to dip into the transfer market for another central defender. However, he is unlikely to be an automatic starter, considerably limiting his playing time. The player is not keen on such a role, and it remains to be seen how things play out.