Liverpool defender Sepp Van den Berg is on the verge of leaving the club on a permanent deal after being linked with a move away all summer.
The Telegraaf reports that the defender will have the choice of two clubs after Liverpool accepted bids from Brentford and Leverkusen said to be around €30million.
Van den Berg joined Liverpool in 2019, but has not really had the chance to show Reds fans what he can do in first team action. The 22-year old has been on loan for most of his time at the club. Sepp Van den Berg has played for Preston, Schalke and was on loan at Mainz last season.
Sepp Van den Berg is a wanted man
After his impressive season on loan at Mainz, the Dutch defender attracted interest during the summer. With the likes of PSV and Feyenoord showing interest. Van den Berg was solid in the second half of the season as Mainz survived relegation from the Bundesliga.
The Dutch defender was part of the Liverpool squad for their pre season tour, he featured in games against Betis and Arsenal but was on the bench for the final game against Las Palmas. When Liverpool coach Arne Slot was asked about the defender not being involved in the game, he claimed it was not due to any transfer deal:
“That’s load management, the way we call it. And, of course, a player like Nat [Phillips], who is training with us for a long time, deserved to have some playing time as well.
“So, it’s a combination of a player who has already made a lot of minutes and we don’t want to take the risk of him getting injured — as we don’t want with anyone, but with him, we thought it was best for him not to start today. That had all to do with load management — and that Nat also deserved to play today.”
Liverpool defensive depth
Sepp Van den Berg leaving the club might be the best option for all parties. This summer, even after the exit of Joel Matip, Liverpool have multiple options at center back including Nat Phillips, Jarrell Quansah and Joe Gomez to support the main duo of Virgil Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.
The Reds boast one of the best defensive cores in the league, and it would be difficult for Van den Berg, who has rarely seen first team action in a Liverpool shirt, to become a starter.
Sepp Van den Berg’s impending departure is the latest in Liverpools transfer dealings. Fabio Carvalho joined Brentford and Bobby Clark is also on the verge of leaving the club.
