‘Prepared to go far…’ – Ex-European champions pinpoint Liverpool ‘leader’ as their ‘top target’
A former European Cup winner has identified one Liverpool player as their ‘top target’ for the summer transfer window and are ‘prepared to go far’ to try and land him.
That’s according to Dutch football journalist Rik Elfrink, who took to social media on Tuesday night to provide an update on PSV Eindhoven’s interest in Sepp van den Berg, who’s valued at €20m (£16.8m) by the Reds.
The Eredivisie outfit are hoping to snap up the 22-year-old for a lesser amount and appear willing to test the Merseysiders’ resolve for the player.
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The reporter posted on X (translated from Dutch): “Liverpool want around 20 million euros for Sepp van den Berg. PSV wants that price to be reduced by several million and is prepared to go far. For the time being, Van den Berg remains the top target to further strengthen the defence.”
Liverpool wil zo'n 20 miljoen euro voor Sepp van den Berg. PSV wil dat die prijs met meerdere miljoenen naar beneden gaat en is wel bereid om ver te gaan. Voorlopig blijft Van den Berg het toptarget om de defensie extra te versterken.
— Rik Elfrink (@RikElfrink) July 16, 2024
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This summer feels like a pivotal juncture in Van den Berg’s Liverpool career, having signed for the Reds back in 2019 but made just four first-team appearances, the most recent of which came in his first season on the club’s books.
However, after accuring valuable senior experience with a series of loan moves – most recently with Mainz in the Bundesliga – he could now be set to become an important member of Arne Slot’s squad, and he’s stood out with some of his performance metrics in the opening fortnight of pre-season training.
Bo Henriksen, who managed the Dutchman at the MEWA Arena earlier this year, described the defender as ‘a leader’ and ‘boss’ in the backline (Get Football News Germany), and the 22-year-old could be given a sustained opportunity to exhibit those qualities at Anfield over the coming months.
If Liverpool value him at close to £17m but PSV are attempting to lowball us, then Richard Hughes is quite right not to back down. If, as Elfrink states, Van den Berg is the Eindhoven club’s ‘top target’, then they can reasonably be expected to pay above rather than below our indicated asking price for him.
Having missed out on Leny Yoro to Manchester United, the Reds can’t afford to diminish their senior centre-back ranks any further. Even if the Dutch defender is retained, we could still do with adding another option in that area of the pitch to ensure that we have sufficient strength in depth.
If the 1988 European Cup winners want to sign the 22-year-old, they’ll have to do a lot better than what they’re currently trying to pull off.
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