In the case of one member of the Liverpool squad, he can probably be viewed as a victim of timing.
Had he emerged onto the scene a few years earlier, before Jurgen Klopp had transformed The Reds back into a European force with Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip, Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate fighting for a starting spot, Sepp van den Berg would maybe have become a regular in the Liverpool first-team.
Instead, with so much quality ahead of him, the Dutchman has been forced out on a series of loans in order to obtain the regular minutes he desires.
Van den Berg has not made a single Premier League appearance during five years as a Liverpool player. In that time, the former PEC Zwolle starlet has taken in spells at Preston North End, Schalke and most recently Mainz 05.
Liverpool exit appeals to Sepp van den Berg
That 2023/24 stint in the German Bundesliga was certainly a success. So much so that Liverpool are reportedly demanding around £20 million from clubs looking to take Van den Berg away from Anfield on a permanent basis.
The chances of a return to Mainz, then, feel somewhat slim. The 05ers certainly do not have the cash to stump up the required £20 million, while Van den Berg appears to have little interest in another loan deal.
But if Van den Berg is to retain to the MEWA Arena, that may be a compromise he will have to make.
“The only one who has made a decision is Sepp,” sporting director Christian Heidel told Kicker on Monday. “He definitely wants to stay in Mainz.”
Van den Berg has been increasingly outspoken about his future plans of late. The 22-year-old stopper is keen to join a club in one of Europe’s major leagues if indeed he does bid farewell to Liverpool, with Bundesliga action at Mainz appealing to him more than a return to the Eredivisie with either Ajax or champions PSV Eindhoven.
“(Liverpool) didn’t radiate confidence in me all this time, but you want to hinder my future,” Van den Berg told De Telegraaf recently, clearing displeased with a price-tag that could have his suitors dropping like flies.
“I want to keep playing weekly and develop myself further.
“In Germany, I enjoy Dortmund with 70,000 fans. Bayern Munich against Harry Kane. Stuttgart, Leipzig, Leverkusen… Against those kinds of clubs I am challenged every week.”
Van den Berg scored three goals in 33 Bundesliga games last term. He was outstanding, meanwhile, during a nine-match unbeaten run at the end of the campaign which saved Mainz from relegation.
A fanciful prospect indeed when Van den Berg and co were hit for eight by Bayern Munich in the spring.
Mainz survive Bundesliga relegation
“Sepp has taken a big step this year,” beams Mainz team-mate Phillipp Mwene, speaking to Voetbal Primeur.
“He is very solid at the moment. Sepp is a machine. His physical attributes are excellent. He is fast, can jump high and is strong in one-on-one situations.
“Every week you see him grow and develop, also on the ball. His structure is getting better and better. Another good central defender for the Netherlands.
“Of course he still needs to improve in some areas, but he is still very young,” Austria full-back Mwene adds. “His work ethic is also very good. He is one of the guys who can be found in the gym before and after training.
“If you have that kind of mentality, combined with those qualities, then you decide where your ceiling is.”
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