Sepp van den Berg is a man in high demand this summer owing to his excellent performances for Mainz on loan last season.
The 22-year-old defender spent pre-season with Liverpool and impressed compatriot Arne Slot over these past few weeks.
However, all signs point towards Van Den Berg leaving Anfield before the August 30 deadline – be it on permanent transfer or a loan deal.
The Reds have put a mammoth £20 million fee on the head of the defender off the back of a successful loan at Mainz in 2023/24.
Prior to moving to Mainz for the 2023–24 season, the 22-year-old Dutchman, who joined the club from PEC Zwolle in 2019, has had a Anfield career filled with numerous loan appearances.
This includes noteworthy spells at Preston North End and Schalke.
But he enjoyed his biggest success at Mainz.
Last season, van den Berg made 33 appearances in the Bundesliga, playing 93% of the minutes that were available to him as he assisted Mainz in maintaining their Bundesliga standing.
He showcased his physicality where he was in the 99th percentile for headers won according to FBref.com.
Considering that he is being compared to positional peers in the top five leagues in Europe, this is quite outstanding.
This indicates that Virgil van Dijk, William Saliba, Toni Rudiger, and any other elite defender you can name are being compared to him.
And it seems that his form has not been forgotten by those in Germany’s topflight.
German giants enter race for Sepp van den Berg
The race for Sepp van den Berg has pretty much been wearing on all summer.
PSV were heavily interested in the 22-year-old, but the reliable De Telegraaf reported this week that PSV have given up their chase.
Mainz, having seen the young defender’s quality first-hand, are understandably keen to see him return to the MEWA Arena.
On Wednesday, Mainz chief Chrisitan Heidel revealed that he is still holding out on a loan possibility.
“I know that he would very much like to return to Mainz. Perhaps the player’s voice will play a role in Liverpool’s decision.”
“Of course, it is Liverpool’s legitimate right to put a price tag on the player.”
“If Liverpool loans him out for another year, then we are the perfect club. Sepp would confirm that as well.”
However, things may have just become difficult for Mainz.
That’s because reigning Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen have joined the race for Sepp van den Berg according to German outlet Kicker.
Die Werkself are reportedly open to selling defender Odilon Kossounou this summer if the right offer comes along.
Crystal Palace are interested in signing Kossounou as a replacement for Marc Guéhi, who may leave the club amid Newcastle United interest.
However, Palace would need to offer around €40 million for Leverkusen to agree to the deal, which could make the transfer unlikely due to the high price.
If Palace were to meet the asking price and sign Kossounou, Leverkusen would then need to find a replacement. This is where Liverpool’s Sepp van den Berg comes in.
It then seems that Xabi Alonso was casting an eye to Mainz is well aware that Sepp van den Berg was a big reason why the 05ers were able to retain their Bundesliga status last term.
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