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

It has been claimed that several Bundesliga clubs, including Mainz, which was Jurgen Klopp’s previous club, and Bayer Leverkusen, which is affiliated with Xabi Alonso, are interested in recruiting Sepp van den Berg, a young player from Liverpool.

After spending the previous season on loan at Mainz, where the Dutch defender impressed in a total of 36 matches, Van den Berg has returned to Liverpool. Mainz was the club where he spent the previous season.

The centre back has been given a significant amount of playing time during preseason under the direction of Arne Slot, the new manager of Liverpool. Slot has expressed his satisfaction with Van den Berg’s efforts in friendly games in preparation for his first season in the dugout at Anfield.

The future of Van den Berg is said to be very much open, despite the fact that it is highly doubtful that the 22-year-old would be able to force himself ahead of players such as Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, and Ibrahima Konate in the pecking order at Liverpool.

Van der Berg’s rise to prominence has piqued the interest of a number of clubs in Germany. Mainz, Stuttgart, Hoffenheim, Wolfsburg, Borussia Monchengladbach, and Bayer Leverkusen, the reigning Bundesliga champions managed by former Liverpool midfielder Alonso, are among the clubs that are competing with Mainz to acquire the services of the defender.

This is the assertion made by Florian Plettenberg, a transfer guru based in Germany, who has disclosed that Liverpool has turned down all “concrete” proposals for Van den Berg up to this point in the summer.

It comes after TEAMtalk revealed a month ago that Liverpool “immediately rejected” an official bid for Van den Berg from the Dutch club PSV Eindhoven, which was believed to be in the area of £8.5 million. Liverpool is estimated to value the player in the range of £20-25 million.

For the defender, who had previously spent a season on loan at Schalke during the 2022/23 season, Mainz continues to hold out hope that they will be able to get another loan contract for him.

Liverpool does not appear to be in a hurry to make a definitive choice regarding Van den Berg’s future because his current contract is set to expire in the summer of 2026.

After being astonished by Liverpool’s ‘very high’ valuation, Van den Berg left the club.
In the summer of 2019, Van den Berg made the move from PEC Zwolle to Liverpool for an initial cost of 1.3 million. However, he has had a difficult time breaking into the first team under Klopp, with his four first-team appearances to date coming in the FA and EFL cups.

While speaking after Liverpool’s victory over Real Betis in a pre-season friendly last month, Van den Berg disclosed that his future is likely to be determined by the amount of playing time he gets under Slot. He also admitted that Liverpool’s valuation of him is “quite high,” which will make it “difficult” for him to leave Anfield.

He stated, “I am aware that in the current market, [bids] will take place.”

It is possible that Liverpool will consider the money they are asking for me to be reasonable because I had a successful season. More than that, if they want twenty to twenty-five million pounds.

“I have faith that we will be able to find a solution. Perhaps I will remain, or perhaps I will leave.

The first thing that sprang to my mind was that [the price tag] certainly was extremely expensive! In addition to that, it is a complement.

“Playing time is the most important thing to me. This is the best place for me to be if I am successful in obtaining it.

The value of Liverpool is, without a doubt, a praise; yet, it does make things more challenging. Twenty million pounds is a significant amount.

“Of course, I am present at this same moment. If not the largest club in the world, Liverpool is certainly one of the largest clubs in the world. It has been my dream from the beginning.