Liverpool now fully prepared to DEVASTATE Sepp van den Berg in £20m talks

Liverpool are prepared to deny their own player an exit from the club, according to reports. That’s despite him publicly calling for one.

The Athletic reports that Mainz 05 have approached Liverpool over a transfer for Sepp van den Berg. The Dutchman was on loan at Mainz last season and absolutely thrived.

Understandably, they want him back - but know that the Reds are looking to sell the summer. They'll need to pay the asking price and all signs are that they can't come close.

The report mentions £20m as that asking price. It's well out of the range Mainz can pay and it makes it highly unlikely that Van den Berg head back there this summer.

Though, Liverpool have apparently fielded calls from various clubs across Europe - it's not just Mainz here. The 'problem' for the player is that the club are also happy to reject anything under the asking price.

If no one pays it, Van den Berg will remain with Liverpool - and that's something he very publicly doesn't want.

Van den Berg wants out

Van den Berg made headlines last week when he publicly announced that he wanted to leave Liverpool and that he believes the club is 'hindering' his future with their hardline approach to sales.

“They haven't radiated confidence in me all this time, but they do want to hinder my future," he told De Telegraaf (via translation). "I want to keep playing weekly and develop myself further.”

This news, then, will devastate Van den Berg as the 22-year-old is getting exactly the news he feared. Liverpool will put profit ahead of his future and there is every chance that he will remain with them next season without a clear plan.

Now, we do believe Van den Berg has what it takes to break into the first-team setup at Liverpool. But it's still just a possibility - the worry will be that he has a season of minimal football, right on the back of a breakout season.

He already feels like his best interests aren't at heart. This won't help.