As per an update from Fabrizio Romano on Wednesday afternoon, Liverpool have sanctioned another player’s exit from Anfield.
A week after Fabio Carvalho completed a £27.5m move to Brentford, the Reds could be about to strike a similar deal for another standout pre-season performer in Sepp van den Berg.
Taking to X today, the Italian transfer reporter posted: “Liverpool will receive £20m plus £5m add-ons for Sepp van den Berg, green light to both Brentford and Bayer Leverkusen. Dutch defender will decide between the two clubs soon after speaking to Xabi Alonso and Thomas Frank.”
Liverpool will receive £20m plus £5m add-ons for Sepp van der Berg, green light to both Brentford and Bayer Leverkusen.
Dutch defender will decide between the two clubs soon after speaking to Xabi Alonso and Thomas Frank. pic.twitter.com/QtfKZjvbIV
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 21, 2024
It now seems inevitable that Van den Berg will leave and that it’s simply a matter of him deciding whether to remain in the Premier League and quickly reunite with Carvalho in west London, or have a crack at the Champions League with the Bundesliga title holders.
Amid ongoing uncertainty over Joe Gomez’s future, there’s a risk that Liverpool could be leaving themselves light in the centre-back department after they part with the Dutchman. Rhys Williams has also gone out on loan, while Nat Phillips looks set to remain on the periphery until such time that he secures a permanent exit.
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It seems surprising that, in such circumstances, the Reds would sign off on the seemingly imminent departure of the 22-year-old, especially after he performed to such a high standard on the pre-season tour to USA and during the first fortnight back at the AXA Training Centre last month.
However, few clubs can rival LFC when it comes to sensing the right time to cash in on younger/fringe players. The fees received for the likes of Jordon Ibe (£15m), Harry Wilson (£12m) and Rhian Brewster (£23.5m) in the past all look like masterstrokes now, and £25m would be a generous amount to reap for Van den Berg, who for all his talent has played just four senior competitive matches for us.
It appears that Richard Hughes simply couldn’t say no to the offers for the lightning-quick defender, who last season clocked a top speed of 34.78 km per hour on loan at Mainz (Daily Mail), and it’s now up to the player to decide whether London or Leverkusen will be his next port of call.
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