Liverpool’s coaching staff have been impressed with the performances of Sepp van den Berg throughout pre-season and are happy to keep the defender amid interest from six Bundesliga clubs.
The centre-back has been linked with a move back to Germany all summer having spent last season on loan with Mainz 05.
That interest has not slowed down with Stuttgart, Hoffenheim, Wolfsburg, Mainz, Borussia Monchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen all showing some level of eagerness to sign Van den Berg ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, reports Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg.
The journalist states that some clubs have made concrete offers to Liverpool for the 22-year-old but they were all rejected as the Premier League club hold out for £20m/£25m for the Dutch talent.
Mainz remain keen on securing another loan deal for the centre-back but Liverpool will likely only entertain permanent transfers. Arne Slot was impressed with Van den Berg throughout the Reds’ pre-season preparations and is happy to keep the Dutch star at Anfield for the 2024/25 campaign.
There has been no final decision made on the defender’s future and according to Plettenberg, it remains open ahead of the new season kicking off next week.
With Joel Matip departing Liverpool at the end of last season, this leaves a role for Van den Berg to occupy throughout the upcoming campaign and the Dutch star should be given the chance to prove himself at Anfield after a solid pre-season for the Reds.
Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate will likely start as Slot’s two centre-backs but having spent the entire pre-season with Liverpool’s new coach, that gives Van den Berg an advantage over the duo and Joe Gomez.
The 22-year-old remaining at Anfield also saves the Merseyside club from having to buy a new central defender, which makes keeping the Dutch star around a smart decision.
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