Liverpool could strike long-awaited £20m deal as early as next week

Liverpool could strike a £20m deal for Sepp van den Berg as early as next week, says one journalist. The Reds are open to talks.

Dutch journalist Rik Eflrink has reiterated that Liverpool could sell Sepp van den Berg next week. Essentially, the Reds are just waiting to get back from their preseason tour of the US.

Van den Berg has a role to play until then, with certain players still missing after the international tournaments. Liverpool won't let him go until he's offered cover - though, it's also a chance to have a proper look at a player who excelled out on loan last season.

The Dutchman is apparently impressing his new boss, Arne Slot. It's a positive start if he does want to secure a place in Liverpool's squad but it's not entirely clear that Van den Berg wants that.

He's voiced concerns that Liverpool are overvaluing him in talks with other clubs. At the end of the day, Van den Berg wants to play regular football somewhere and knows his chances of that at Anfield are slim.

Especially when Liverpool are open to selling him.

"The case of Sepp van den Berg [to PSV], it will not become topical again until next week at the earliest," Elfrink wrote on X.  "This week he and his club will first complete the 'Preseason Tour' in the United States. Liverpool are not moving now."

Sepp van den Berg's future

PSV Eindhoven did make a late offer for Van den Berg before Liverpool set off for North America. The BBC claim that offer was just £8.4m, however - a long, long way short of the £20m the Reds are after.

It's a difficult price for clubs like PSV to pay and it's clubs of that stature that can offer Van den Berg what he wants. At the same time, Liverpool would absolutely expect to pay £20m to sign a young defender who performed brilliantly in the Bundesliga.

We'll see who's more likely to budge next week, then. Liverpool will lower their price if there's no real room for Van den Berg in the squad but if they believe they can use him, PSV will need to find £20m.