Slot’s Anfield life got off to an ideal start with a 2-0 away win against Ipswich, but the club’s transfer failures somewhat overshadowed this – they are the only Premier League side not to have made a summer signing and were rejected by their main target, Martin Zubimendi.
With the window winding down and deadline day fast approaching, Liverpool do not have long left to sign that first recruit and may require funds to do so. The £27.5million gathered from youngster Fabio Carvalho’s sale to Brentford should help with any signings, and Van den Berg may soon suffer a similar fate.
The 22-year-old defender has stated in the past his desire to fight for a place in Liverpool’s first-team, but it now looks as though compatriot Slot will offload the star, who Klopp had to persuade to remain on Merseyside.
The Athletic reports that Van den Berg is on Liverpool’s chopping block and is set to leave in a deal worth over £20m this summer to a currently unnamed club.
Former Reds boss Klopp praised the defender in the past, telling the club: “He is a big talent, but he is a young boy, and we already have a good team.
“He took the challenge, and he really wanted to be part of it. I’m really happy for him. The first impression here was really good and I’m happy to have him around.”
However, Van den Berg slated the club while speaking to De Telegraaf this summer, revealing that he felt mistreated and wished to find somewhere where he could develop his game
“I knew that I couldn’t get from PEC Zwolle [straight] to Liverpool’s first team. I could have been at Liverpool for one or two more years, but I wanted to play with all my might. I demanded to be [loaned] out,” the defender said.
“I felt that I was getting better and better. I also made great strides physically. Just the whole [first] season. It was tough, I enjoyed it. But in all honesty, I wasn’t looked after anymore. I also felt ‘ready’ [in 2021]. I had a good conversation with the management.
“I understood that I wasn’t going to play. But I thought I could be right behind it. When I didn’t get a chance again, I said: ‘Figure it out, I want to leave.’ [Liverpool] didn’t exude confidence in me all this time, I want to keep playing every week and develop myself further.”
Things seemed promising for the young defender upon Slot’s arrival, as the new coach played the defender in almost all of the club’s pre-season games and stated on Liverpool’s YouTube channel: “Sepp is from Zwolle and I’m from Zwolle, a city in the Netherlands. I saw him a week ago and he was saying that he will win [the pre-season running tests]! So, let’s see.”
But even the arrival of a manager from his hometown hasn’t seen Van den Berg handed his chance. Despite the defender’s pre-season involvement, it now looks like he’ll get the chance to develop his game, just not under Slot.
