Bundesliga side eye bargain swoop for Liverpool ‘leader’; he’s their top target – report

One Liverpool player has become a priority target for a Bundesliga club ahead of the summer transfer window.

As per TEAMtalk, Mainz have a ‘clear goal’ of trying to secure a permanent move for Sepp van den Berg, who’s been on loan at the MEWA Arena this season and is currently due to return to Anfield once the campaign ends.

Club chiefs have been highly impressed with the 22-year-old’s displays over the last nine months and are hopeful that their positive relationship with the Reds will see them have first refusal on the Dutch defender if there are offers for him over the summer.

It’s claimed that Die Nullfunfer could sign the youngster for just £6m, which’d represent a bargain for someone who’s been a near-constant starter in a major European league.

Van den Berg may be hoping to get a proper chance to impress Arne Slot in pre-season for Liverpool, with a vacancy for a centre-back in the first-team squad now that Joel Matip is leaving.

The 22-year-old has proven his worth at a high level in Germany, with today’s match against Wolfsburg being his 31st start of the Bundesliga campaign, and he’s been hailed as a ‘leader’ by his current boss Bo Henriksen (Get Football News Germany).

Armed by that experience, the Dutchman will naturally want to play regularly again next season, and the burning question is whether he’ll get the opportunity to do that with his parent club.

If he’s happy to fight for his place at Liverpool, he could be a tremendous squad option to have at Anfield. If he’d prefer a permanent transfer to Mainz in the knowledge that he’d be all but guaranteed a regular starting berth, it’d be hard to begrudge him that either.

Hopefully he can make an impact for the Reds from pre-season and beyond, but if LFC were to cash in on him, they must hold out for whatever they think he’s worth. At 22 and now proven at a high level, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t command a decent fee for him if he’s to be sold.