Liverpool Reject PSV’s Offer for Sepp van den Berg as they Hold Firm on Valuation
Liverpool has turned down PSV Eindhoven’s latest bid for centre-back Sepp van den Berg, indicating their determination to keep the player. Van den Berg has garnered interest from several clubs in England, Germany, and the Netherlands following his loan spell at Mainz.
The 22-year-old has expressed his desire for regular playing time under Arne Slot. If he doesn’t receive that opportunity at Liverpool, he would prefer to move on. However, he has also voiced concerns about the club’s asking price, considering £20 million to be excessively high.
PSV recently made their first bid for Van den Berg, which is reported to be upwards of €10 million (£8.4m) by Eindhovens Dagblad. The offer included an upfront fee of €10 million and additional add-ons valued slightly higher than €2 million. Nevertheless, Liverpool is standing firm on their valuation, believed to be €20 million (£16.9m) rather than £20 million.
Journalist Rik Elfrink suggests that PSV might increase their offer to around €15 million (£12.6m), but it remains doubtful whether Liverpool would accept. Arne Slot has yet to decide whether Van den Berg will stay or leave, as the young defender has been performing well alongside Jarell Quansah in pre-season while Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, and Joe Gomez are absent.
PSV is eager to secure a new centre-back swiftly, but it remains uncertain if they are willing to wait too long for Van den Berg. However, any potential transfer for the player is unlikely to occur until late in the summer, as Slot’s international players are not set to rejoin the squad until next week.
The transfer window in the Netherlands closes on September 2, two days later than the Premier League. However, PSV’s season begins earlier, with the Johan Cruijff Shield against Feyenoord on August 4, followed by their Eredivisie campaign opener against RKC Waalwijk on August 10. Liverpool’s pre-season will still be ongoing at that time.
In addition to rejecting PSV’s bid for Van den Berg, Liverpool has also turned down an £11.2 million offer for midfielder Wataru Endo. However, there is still a possibility that Endo may leave the club.