In a startling interview, a player from Liverpool has requested to depart from the club on the first day of Arne Slot’s tenure as manager.
Today marks the official appointment of Arne Slot as the new manager at Anfield, succeeding the departing Jurgen Klopp.
Slot, who previously managed Feyenoord, faces a daunting task of familiarizing his squad with his tactics and playing style, especially as many players will be absent for much of pre-season due to their involvement in Euro 2024 and the Copa America.
Among the players available for pre-season training is defender Sepp van den Berg, who spent the previous season on loan at Bundesliga club Mainz.
Despite joining Liverpool from PEC Zwolle in 2019, the 22-year-old has only made appearances in cup competitions and is yet to feature in the Premier League. The Athletic has reported that Liverpool is open to selling Van den Berg this summer, setting a price tag of £20 million.
In an interview with De Telegraaf, the center-back has expressed his thoughts on the asking price and his future at Anfield. He stated, “I understood that breaking into Liverpool’s first team directly from PEC Zwolle was unlikely. I could have stayed at Liverpool for another year or two, but I was eager to play regularly. I insisted on going out on loan repeatedly because I felt my game was improving continuously.
I also made significant progress physically.” Van den Berg had an 18-month loan spell at Championship club Preston North End starting from January 2021, initially playing as a right-back under Alex Neil before transitioning to the right side of a three-man central defense under Frankie McAvoy and later Ryan Lowe.
During his 66 appearances for the club, Van den Berg believed he was prepared to feature for Liverpool’s first team. “I had a positive conversation with the management. They received good reports about me. I realized that players like Van Dijk, Matip, or Konate were ahead of me in the pecking order, but I felt I could be next in line.
When I didn’t get the opportunity again, I expressed my desire to leave. I felt that despite not showing confidence in me all this time, Liverpool now wanted to impede my future.”
It’s evident that Van den Berg is keen on regular playing time and further development. He highlights his enjoyment of playing in Germany against top clubs like Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Stuttgart, Leipzig, and Leverkusen, where he feels challenged every week.
Unless Slot offers him a chance in the first team, it seems likely that Van den Berg will depart from Liverpool this summer.
