Club chief explains why ‘huge’ £20m Liverpool deal did not happen this summer
Liverpool made it clear that they would need £20 million to sell one of their fringe players, the interest certainly dried up from across the Channel.
Those links with Bayer Leverkusen disappeared pretty quickly.
Mainz, having initially expressed their desire to sign Sepp van den Berg after a fine loan spell in which he helped them pull off a dramatic escape from the Bundesliga relegation zone, could not afford him.
As for PSV Eindhoven, it was not merely a case of not being able to meet Liverpool’s demands, but also concerns over what shattering their transfer record would mean for the Dutch champions going forward.
Earnest Stewart – PSV’s sporting director – told Voetbal International that it was simply ‘not possible’ to match the £20 million bid slapped down by Brentford.
Thomas Frank’s side would eventually win the race for the Dutchman’s signature. Brentford took Van den Berg to West London alongside another Liverpool youngster seeking regular first-team minutes in Fabio Carvalho.
Frans Janssen, the Chief Commercial Offer at the Philipps Stadium, now provides a more detailed explanation as to why PSV walked away from the Van den Berg race.
And it wasn’t quite as simple as Liverpool pricing them out.
“Were the stories about our budget (being) around 25 to 30 million euros true? We never looked at it that way. We know in which positions we need reinforcements, and then we look at which player we think is worth (the money),” Janssen explains on the Rood Wit Podcast.
Liverpool sell Sepp van den Berg to Brentford
Frans Janssen, the Chief Commercial Offer at the Philipps Stadium, now provides a more detailed explanation as to why PSV walked away from the Van den Berg race.
“Were the stories about our budget (being) around 25 to 30 million euros true? We never looked at it that way. We know in which positions we need reinforcements, and then we look at which player we think is worth (the money),” Janssen explains on the Rood Wit Podcast.
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