SIX clubs chasing Liverpool star who can leave for right price as ‘concrete offers’ made

Six Bundesliga sides, including Jurgen Klopp’s former club Mainz and Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen outfit, are reportedly interested in signing Liverpool youngster Sepp van den Berg.

Van den Berg is back at Liverpool after spending last season on loan at Mainz, where the Dutch defender impressed in making a total of 36 appearances.

The centre-back has featured heavily in pre-season under new Liverpool manager Arne Slot, who has been pleased with Van den Berg’s performances in friendly games ahead of his first season in the dugout at Anfield.

With the 22-year-old unlikely to force himself ahead of the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate in the Liverpool pecking order, however, the future of Van den Berg is believed to be very much open.

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Van der Berg’s emergence has seen him attract interest from a number of clubs in Germany, with Stuttgart, Hoffenheim, Wolfsburg, Borussia Monchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen – the reigning Bundesliga champions managed by former Liverpool midfielder Alonso – joining Mainz in the race to sign the defender.

That is the claim of Germany-based transfer guru Florian Plettenberg, who has revealed that all “concrete” approaches for Van den Berg have been rejected by Liverpool so far this summer.

It comes after TEAMtalk reported last month that Dutch club PSV Eindhoven saw an official bid for Van den Berg, believed to be in the region of £8.5million, “immediately rejected” by Liverpool, who value the player in the £20-25m range.

Mainz remain hopeful of securing another loan deal for the defender, who previously spent a season on loan at Schalke during the 2022/23 campaign.

With Van den Berg under contract until the summer of 2026, Liverpool appear in no rush to make a firm decision on his future.

Van den Berg left surprised by ‘quite high’ Liverpool valuation

Van den Berg joined Liverpool from PEC Zwolle for an initial 1.3million fee in the summer of 2019, but struggled to break into the first team under Klopp with his four first-team appearances to date coming in the FA and EFL cups.

Speaking after Liverpool’s victory over Real Betis in a pre-season friendly last month, Van den Berg revealed that his future is likely to be decided by the amount of playing time he gets under Slot, admitting that Liverpool’s valuation of him is “quite high” and will make an Anfield exit “difficult.”

He said: “I know in today’s market [bids] will happen.

“For the price they want for me, hmm… Liverpool may think it is right as I had a good season. If they want £20-25million, that is a lot more.

“Hopefully we can find a way. Maybe I stay, maybe I go.

The first reaction from me is that [the price tag] was quite high! But it is also a compliment.

“For me, it is about playing time. If I get it here, there is no better place to be.

“Of course, [Liverpool’s valuation] is a compliment, but it makes it difficult. £20m is majorly high.

“Of course, I am here now. Liverpool is one of the biggest, if not the biggest club in the world. It has always been my dream.”

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