Brentford have reached an agreement in principle with Liverpool for the transfer of centre-back Sepp van den Berg, according to Sky Sports.
The deal is valued at £25 million, with an additional £5 million in potential add-ons.
The final decision now rests with the player, who is aware of interest from Bayer Leverkusen.
Leverkusen are also keen to secure van den Berg’s signature, having agreed to match Liverpool’s terms. However, the German club must first offload one of their current centre-backs.
The Bundesliga champions have received interest in their defenders Edmond Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah, and Odilon Kossounou, which could facilitate the move.
The 22-year-old, who has yet to make a Premier League appearance, has garnered interest from several European clubs, including PSV, Mainz, Wolfsburg, Bayer Leverkusen, and Hoffenheim.
Liverpool recently turned down a bid from PSV, valuing van den Berg at approximately £20 million.
The defender joined Liverpool in 2019 after impressing at his boyhood club, PEC Zwolle, in the Eredivisie.
Liverpool initially paid £1.3 million for van den Berg, who can play both centrally and on the right flank.
Despite several cup appearances during his debut season, van den Berg has not managed to secure a regular spot in the first team and has spent the last four seasons out on loan.
He had two loan spells at Preston before experiencing an injury-plagued stint at Schalke, which culminated in the club’s relegation from the Bundesliga in 2022-23.
Last season, Sepp van den Berg returned to the Bundesliga, joining Mainz on a season-long loan.
At the Mewa Arena, he made 33 appearances and scored three goals, contributing to the team’s recovery from a poor start and their eventual mid-table finish.
Elsewhere, Liverpool defender Rhys Williams has completed a loan move to Morecambe, where he will remain until January.
The 23-year-old, who won the FA Youth Cup with Liverpool in 2019 and earned caps for England’s U21 team, will spend the first half of the season at the League Two club.
Williams, who has been with Liverpool since joining their academy as a 10-year-old, made 19 senior appearances during the 2020-21 season.
He has since gained further experience through loan spells at Swansea City, Blackpool, Aberdeen, and Port Vale.
Morecambe have had a difficult start to their League Two campaign, suffering defeats against Walsall and Gillingham.
Their next fixture is on Saturday when they will face Doncaster Rovers away from home.
Speaking after putting pen to paper with the Shrimps, Williams said: “I’m delighted, the Manager has given me a chance to come and play football here and that’s the main thing.
“I want him to be able to trust me, I want to come in and impress the fans so hopefully we have a successful season.
“After speaking to the manager, I always wanted to go and play for him.
“I spoke to a few of the boys and they were all really complimentary about the club, the staff and fans, so there was only one place I wanted to go.
“I’m composed on the ball, I like to chip in with a few goals; Adam [Lewis] has put a few on my head over the years, so hopefully I can get a few of them, and I’m a commanding presence at the back.”
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