With the transfer window open, Southampton are looking to secure vital signings to get their squad ready for a return to the Premier League.
Manager Russell Martin will have had little time to relax following Southampton‘s promotion via the Championship play-offs as he identifies the key areas to improve.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis‘ loan move being made permanent alongside promotion due to the terms of his deal from Manchester City was a quick win, whilst bringing in Adam Lallana for free looks a sensible move.
However, further additions are needed and it does not appear that Martin is happy with what he’s currently got at centre-back with reported interest in Peterborough United’s Ronnie Edwards.
Now, though, it looks as if Southampton are interested in a third transfer target from Liverpool of the summer but will be rivalled by a former manager.
Southampton ‘in the mix’ for Liverpool’s Sepp van den Berg
Even with Harwood-Bellis’ permanent arrival confirmed, Southampton only have three senior centre-backs at the club; Jan Bednarek and Jack Stephens the other two.
At least one more is needed and with Martin playing a back three towards the end of last season he could even see fit to sign two this summer.
With Southampton already credited with interest in both Tyler Morton and Fabio Carvalho, it now looks as though they are casting their eye over another Liverpool player.
According to Italian outlet Corriere de Bologna, Southampton are ‘providing competition’ for the ‘potential €15 million (£13m)’ signing of 22-year-old Sepp van den Berg.
The centre-back – who can also play right-back – had a successful loan spell at Mainz in the Bundesliga last season and is said to be seeking pastures new with little chance of a future at Anfield.
Southampton are said to be ‘in the mix’ for his signature, but face competition from Bologna and former manager Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Wolfsburg for the Dutch defender.
Van den Berg could be part of new-look Southampton defence
If Van den Berg was brought in it is expected he would quickly force his way into the starting XI.
The young defender could be part of a Southampton defence that has a very different look to last season, with Kyle Walker-Peters linked with a return to former club Tottenham Hotspur.
Left-back Ryan Manning struggled to recapture his Swansea City form that saw Martin so keen to sign him and was defensively poor last season and could also be replaced.
That would mean that of last season’s most used back four, only Harwood-Bellis keeps his place.
This would be harsh on Bednarek, who was impressive last season so perhaps Martin could utilise a back three to ensure he gets his best defenders in the team in a campaign in which they will need to be as defensively sound as possible.