Two Liverpool exits ramp up, as Slot lands on next Coutinho in rising star

Sepp van den Berg is among two players who could leave Liverpool in the very near future, while Arne Slot already has the new Philippe Coutinho in his squad, according to a Reds hero.

Liverpool have had a quiet summer transfer window so far, with the main headlines being that Thiago, Joel Matip and Adrian have all left on free transfers following the expiry of their contracts. There could soon be more excitement on Merseyside though, as David Ornstein has revealed that Liverpool hope to sign a new defensive midfielder in their first big summer deal.

It is unclear at this stage who their No 1 target is, though it is understood to be someone shining abroad.

Possible options include Genoa’s Morten Frendrup, Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi or Alan Varela of Porto.

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While a new No 6 could soon arrive at Anfield and take Wataru Endo’s place, Liverpool are weighing up potential departures as they look to streamline Slot’s squad.

Van Den Berg is back at Liverpool following his third loan spell away from the club, this time with Mainz. The centre-back made 35 appearances for Mainz and improved his reputation hugely by putting in a host of great performances.

While Liverpool know they have a very good player on their hands, they are well aware that the Dutchman wants to move on so he can become a regular starter elsewhere.

According to the latest reports in Germany and the Netherlands, Wolfsburg are set to scrap with PSV for Van Den Berg’s capture.

Liverpool transfers: Van Den Berg, Doak likely to leave

Ajax, Brentford and Southampton are just some of the other clubs to have been linked with the 22-year-old, but it is currently Wolfsburg and PSV who are leading the race.

Out of those two main options, Van Den Berg is likely to prioritise a PSV move as this would allow him to return to his home country and also play for the reigning Eredivisie champions. Wolfsburg, in contrast, finished 12th in the Bundesliga last term.

Although, Van Den Berg’s potential suitors will have to pay up if they are going to snare him. Liverpool know that Van Den Berg’s stock is high right now and have therefore set his price tag at £20-25million.

So far, PSV have only offered £8.5m for the defender, which means they have a lot of work to do to complete a deal.

Van Den Berg could be followed out of Liverpool by young winger Ben Doak. The 18-year-old, who mainly plays on the right flank, joined Liverpool’s academy from the Celtic youth ranks in July 2022.

Due to the superb attacking options at Liverpool’s disposal, he has only made 10 senior appearances for the club since joining.

Leicester, Southampton among winger’s suitors

According to Football Scotland, Slot has told Doak that he can leave Liverpool on loan in order to pick up more first-team experience during the 2024-25 campaign.

The Scotland U21 international could achieve a big loan transfer, too. The report adds that Premier League clubs Leicester City, Southampton and Brentford are all interested in snapping Doak up for the season.

While Doak will spend the upcoming season away from Liverpool, there will not be a buy option included in the deal as club chiefs view him as an important player for the future.

Doak has top-class potential and is viewed as a future star for the Scotland national team.

Meanwhile, Phil Thompson, who helped Liverpool win an incredible 25 trophies between 1971 and 1985, has compared Fabio Carvalho to former Anfield ace Coutinho.

“Carvalho scored two goals in the last [two games], against Arsenal, against Man Utd and he’s a very clever footballer, likes to get between the lines,” Thompson said.

“I know he’s a bit lightweight, but he’s very much like Coutinho and he can deliver.”

It remains to be seen whether Carvalho will be part of Slot’s setup at Liverpool, though. Southampton have made the attacking midfielder a top summer target and are planning a new £20m offer after having their opening proposal worth £15m rejected.

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