Liverpool set £20m asking price for defensive talent with just four Reds appearances to his name

Liverpool have reportedly set a £20million valuation on a forgotten defender who has made only four senior appearances for the club.

There could be a high turnover of players at Anfield during the summer transfer window as the Reds transition from legendary boss Jurgen Klopp to Arne Slot in the dugout.

But one player who appears certain to leave is Brentford and Southampton defensive target Sepp van den Berg.

The 22-year-old rose through the ranks of Dutch club PEC Zwolle before completing a move to Anfield in the summer of 2019.

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Five years on and Van den Berg has made just four first-team appearances for Liverpool, with three of those coming in the Carabao Cup, having spent time out on loan at Preston, Schalke 04 and Mainz 05.

However, the talented centre-back made a big impression at Mainz this season as he featured in 33 of the club’s 34 Bundesliga matches.

Having helped the German outfit secure Bundesliga safety, Van den Berg returns to Merseyside to find out his fate under new boss Slot.

The Athletic reports that the Reds will hold out for £20m fee if they do decide to part ways with the Netherlands Under-21 international ahead of the new season.

Premier League duo chasing Van den Berg

The report adds that Brentford and recently-promoted Southampton are among several clubs showing an interest in Van den Berg.

Manchester United managerial target Thomas Frank is looking to strengthen a Bees side that conceded 65 Premier League goals this season as they ended up in the battle to beat the drop.

Southampton, meanwhile, are already plotting areas to bolster their starting XI after beating Leeds in the Championship play-off final last weekend.

However, the duo are not the only clubs hot on Van den Berg’s trail, with Mainz keen on another loan at the very least for the Reds star. Wolfsburg and Ajax are also in the mix for his signature.

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Much will now depend on what sort of impression Van den Berg makes on Slot in pre-season, with many Liverpool fringe players set for a clean slate as the Dutchman assesses all his options ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Indeed, there will be a vacancy in Liverpool’s defence after the club allowed Joel Matip to walk away upon the expiry of his contract.