Liverpool’s £20m Valuation for Van Den Berg: Fair or Overpriced? | OneFootball

Van Den Berg’s Future: A Question of Value

Sepp van den Berg was taken aback when he heard about Liverpool’s asking price for him this summer.

“If you want to leave then £20million ($25.7m) is quite a lot,” he says diplomatically and with a smile.

“I know in today’s market crazy things can happen. They put a price tag on me which Liverpool may think is right because I had a good season last year.

“The first reaction from me was that it was quite high! Of course, it is a compliment in one way. It’s a sign of how well I did last year. But it makes it a bit more difficult the other way. If they only thought I was worth £2m that wouldn’t be nice! But £20m is maybe on the high side.”

Van den Berg’s excellent campaign on loan at Bundesliga outfit Mainz in 2023-24 has led to plenty of interest in him since he reported back for training earlier this month.

Mainz and fellow German outfit Wolfsburg both had permanent offers turned down, while PSV Eindhoven were also unable to put together a suitable financial package.

Photo: IMAGO

Slots Plans for the Young Defender

So where does that leave him at the start of a new era under Arne Slot? And is Liverpool’s valuation justified?

For a start, it is important to stress that the young Dutch defender is not desperate to get away. The 22-year-old just wants to avoid a scenario where he stays put and finds himself a long way down the pecking order and starved of game time this season.

“Maybe I stay, maybe I go,” he adds. “I am here now. Liverpool is one of the biggest clubs in the world. It has always been my dream to play here and it still is my dream.

“I spoke with Arne on the first day and he said I have to show myself in pre-season. Of course I have my own visions about things. I like to play.

“I am here to show the new manager that I am Liverpool-worthy. If he gives me a chance and likes me, there’s a big chance of me staying. But we are still early in the window so we will see what happens.”

In the ongoing absence of senior centre-backs Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez, Van den Berg has used the opening weeks of pre-season wisely — knuckling down and grasping the opportunity to impress Slot.

He showcased his athleticism in the fitness testing as he led the way before Mohamed Salah returned and knocked him off the top of the charts. Slot and his staff have been taken by his maturity and technical ability in training.

The benefits of that spell in Germany were clear for all to see in Friday’s 1-0 win over Real Betis in Pittsburgh when he shone alongside Jarell Quansah during the opening hour.

“For a centre-back, you need the experience of being in the rhythm of playing every game,” he says. “That’s where I made the biggest steps. In terms of the training and environment here, you can’t get any better than Liverpool. But when I was away at Mainz, I played every game, stayed fit and made big steps. I really enjoyed it.”

Liverpool are in no rush to make a decision over Van den Berg’s future. The plan was always to give him time to work under Slot in pre-season and so far he has exceeded their expectations.

Out The Door? The £20m Question

What is clear is that if he does move on, there will not be a cut-price deal on offer.

Senior Anfield figures are adamant the £20m price tag accurately reflects the fact he is only 22 and was widely regarded as one of the best young centre-backs in the Bundesliga last season. The reports from Mainz were glowing.

Context is also provided by some of the deals which have been done elsewhere so far this summer.

Bournemouth agreed to pay Juventus up to £15.2m for 19-year-old centre-back Dean Huijsen, who played just once for the Serie A outfit before making 13 appearances on loan at Roma in the second half of last season.

Southampton paid Manchester City £20m to make Taylor Harwood-Bellis’ move to the south coast permanent after he helped them win promotion back to the top flight while on loan.

Van den Berg is more experienced than both of them, having clocked up a total of 136 appearances in senior club football so far in his career.

He was just 17 when he signed for Liverpool from Dutch outfit PEC Zwolle for £4.4m in the summer of 2019. He made four senior appearances in 2019-20 but his development since then has continued away from Anfield with loan spells at Preston North End, Schalke and Mainz.

“I was a boy when I first came here,” he adds.

“I had so little experience having only played in Holland a little bit. Now I have done one-and-a-half years in the Championship and another two years in the Bundesliga.

“I am still young but I feel very old! It’s all about game time and experience, and I’ve gained that in recent years.

“If I can get game time at Liverpool then there is no better place to be with the fans, the club, the environment. The quality in training is so good here but my goal is to play football next year so we will see if that it is here or somewhere else.”