Mainz have a first right to refusal on Liverpool defender Sepp van den Berg, but are likely to face financial challenges if they want to sign him in the summer on a permanent deal.
The 22-year-old defender joined Mainz on loan last summer but there was a vagueness on whether the club had an option to buy in the agreement.
Mainz indicated that there would be a chance of him staying longer than the end of his original contract.
The Dutchman has been more or less a certainty in the eleven when he has been available to play and has impressed despite Mainz’s difficult season.
And according to the German magazine Kicker, Mainz did secure a first right to refusal in the loan agreement with the Reds.
If Van den Berg leaves the Reds in the summer, Mainz will have the option of trying to sign him on a permanent deal.
However, it has been claimed that Mainz have had their financial viability shaken.
They are currently in the relegation zone and even if they survive, they are likely to get a smaller cut of the TV money compared to previous years.
Relegation to the second tier is almost certain to end any hope of Van den Berg returning to the club in the summer.
