Transfer now 'dependent' on Liverpool but player 'very much' WANTS move

Liverpool are in control of a transfer now but Sepp van den Berg ‘very much’ wants the move. That’s according to one club boss.

Liverpool officially start their season in just two days but they still haven't figured out what to do with Sepp van den Berg. The Dutch defender returned in May after a fantastic loan spell at Mainz and was immediately linked with moves away.

The Reds wanted to sell, it seemed, but Van den Berg himself was worried about their asking price. Their unwillingness to lower demands 'hindered' his career, said the player.

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That asking price remains at £20m and that's proving difficult for the clubs who want Van den Berg. PSV Eindhoven, for instance, have been linked all summer but are struggling to find the funds.

They're not the only club struggling with it, either. Mainz would, unsurprisingly, love Van den Berg to return to them. They know full well that £20m is beyond them, however, and their boss admits they're relying on the player pushing for a transfer - and hoping.

"We are a bit dependent on FC Liverpool," says Christian Heidel, per Florian Plettenberg. "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."

Heidel then goes on to explain that they may need to hope for another loan deal, even if Van den Berg has publicly stated he doesn't want one.

"Of course, it is Liverpool’s legitimate right to put a price tag on the player," he admits. "But then there has to be a club willing to pay that price, and the player has to want to go there.

"As of today, that’s not the case, which is why we still have a chance. If Liverpool loans him out for another year, then we are the perfect club. Sepp would confirm that as well. We are waiting a bit longer and preparing ourselves in case it doesn’t work out."

The Sepp van den Berg problem

If Liverpool wanted to sign a 22-year-old defender who just excelled in a Bundesliga campaign, they'd expect to pay £20m. That's the problem here.

The clubs who want him, though, can't afford that and Liverpool would need to deliberately sell an asset for under his value to them. Not that it's impossible to do that.

Bobby Clark just moved to RB Salzburg for £10m, after all, despite having the potential to be worth far more than that. Sell-on clauses and buy-backs clauses and first-options and all sorts of contract terms can work here.

We wonder if that's the way this all goes. Van den Berg doesn't have a clear place in Liverpool's squad this season, even if he's talented enough to have one.

Selling him for under his value but with a hefty sell-on clause feels like the only way the club gets any value out of him. Be it to Mainz or PSV.