Liverpool are still the only club in Europe who are yet to sign a single player for the senior team. Usually, the club backs a new head coach before the new season begins.
However, in Liverpool hierarchy’s defence, Arne Slot accepted that he is inheriting a very strong squad from legend Jurgen Klopp. The Reds used the pre-season tour from July to assess the squad with the idea of making moves in August.
However, Liverpool have only seen outgoings as we arrive in the middle of August with Premier League on the horizon. The Reds outlined the number six position in midfield as a necessity, targeting Real Sociedad defensive midfielder Martin Zubimendi.
That move ended in a disastrous failure as all the fingers in the global media pointed towards sporting director Richard Hughes. Meanwhile, they sold impressive young midfielder Bobby Clark and attacker Fabio Carvalho for an impressive price.
In the middle of all the chaos, the defence department has gone under the radar despite last season’s struggle. Liverpool notoriously conceded early goals in many games last season, only to make several comebacks and at times, fail.
Sepp van den Berg returned from his loan spell with FSV Mainz 05 after enjoying a steep rise in reputation. The Dutchman helped Mainz survive a relegation battle in the Bundesliga last season, earning the respect of their fans and management.
The German side wants to sign the 22-year-old permanently but they are not ready to accept the £20 million valuation. Whereas, Liverpool are in no rush to sell the Dutchman as they wanted a defensive reinforcement themselves.
Speaking to Sky Germany (via Florian Plettenberg’s X account), Mainz’s sporting director addressed the situation while trying to put pressure on Liverpool. He said:
“We are a bit dependent on FC Liverpool. I know that he would very much like to return to Mainz. Perhaps the player’s voice will play a role in Liverpool’s decision. Of course, it is Liverpool’s legitimate right to put a price tag on the player. But then there has to be a club willing to pay that price, and the player has to want to go there. As of today, that’s not the case, which is why we still have a chance. If Liverpool loans him out for another year, then we are the perfect club. Sepp would confirm that as well. We are waiting a bit longer and preparing ourselves in case it doesn’t work out.”
Liverpool currently have Virgil van Dijk, Jarell Quansah, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez as the centre-back options in their team. Considering the unreliable injury record of Konate and Gomez, they need additional defenders if they are taking all competitions seriously.
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The Reds will play more games due to the change in Champions League format which would demand a rotation policy. If Van den Berg stays, he could feature immensely for the first team within the rotation policy. However, the 22-year-old wants first-team assurance from the club that wants to keep him permanently.
