Liverpool are the only Premier League club with no new signings made just yet in the summer transfer window. New gaffer Arne Slot wouldn’t have expected this to happen after arriving in the red half of Merseyside, especially when he looks to succeed the legendary Jurgen Klopp.
As far as the outgoings go, Joel Matip and Thiago Alcantara have been released upon the expiry of their contracts at the end of June, while Fabio Carvalho has joined Brentford. Another player who could potentially leave Liverpool supposedly in search of regular first-team football is defender Sepp van den Berg.
The Dutchman enjoyed a fantastic loan spell with Mainz in Germany last season, impressing with his all-action defending and helping them finish 13th in the Bundesliga standings. He made 36 appearances across all formats and scored three goals for the German club. His performances at Mainz haven’t gone unnoticed, with several Bundesliga clubs vying for the defender’s signature.
In addition, Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven have also been interested in Sepp van den Berg for months now. According to a report from Football Insider, PSV Eindhoven are planning to lodge a new offer for Liverpool centre-back Sepp van den Berg before the August 30 transfer deadline.
PSV have already seen a bid worth €10m for the Zwolle-born star rejected by the Reds in July as it fell well short of the club’s valuation of closer to £20m. Regardless of the transfer window entering its final weeks, Liverpool have no intention to offer any discount on the 22-year-old and have made it clear to the potential suitors that they need to spend £20m to sign him this summer.
However, the aforementioned report says PSV’s improved offer is still set to fall well short of Liverpool’s £ 20 million valuation for Van den Berg, who has already expressed his desire to leave Anfield for regular game time.
The Netherlands youth international is expected to be used as a squad rotational option in the upcoming season, with the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah all ahead of him in the defensive pecking order. As the club are yet to sign a central defender to fill the void left by Matip, Arne Slot could persuade Van den Berg into staying and fulfilling that role. However, the young centre-back would be highly unlikely to accept that role even if such a request is made by the boss.
More Liverpool News
- Liverpool plan to loan out teenager despite missing out on £51.7m Spaniard
- “See what happens”- First Xi ace reaffirms ‘Trust’ in Liverpool summer business
- Liverpool fans fume over Richard Hughes’ transfer failure
With the new season drawing closer, it is high time our club resolve Van den Berg’s uncertain future. The player wants regular minutes after gaining solid experience from his time with Mainz, and if Slot is unable to provide him with that and sees him as merely a squad rotational option, it would be better if we accept a figure closer to €15m and allow Van den Berg to exit amid concrete interest from PSV.
