Brentford ready £15m offer to beat Palace in Van den Berg race

Brentford are preparing a £15m bid to beat Crystal Palace to Middlesbrough defender Rav van den Berg in the 2025 summer transfer window.

New Bees boss Keith Andrews has identified the Dutch centre-back as a priority target as he begins reshaping the squad left behind by Thomas Frank, who recently departed for Tottenham. Van den Berg, 20, has caught the eye in the Championship with two standout seasons at the Riverside and was a key part of the Netherlands’ U21 side that reached the Euros semi-finals last year.

Brentford’s interest has intensified following reports that Palace had dropped van den Berg down their shortlist, with Sporting CP’s Ousmane Diomande now seen as their first-choice replacement for Marc Guehi.

Crystal Palace had monitored van den Berg since February, with the club exploring options in case of Guehi’s departure. But with Glasner now prioritising a £27m move for Diomande and Hayden Hackney, their focus may have shifted.

This opens the door for Brentford, who are now frontrunners with a proposed offer of around £15m, though Middlesbrough are expected to hold out for the highest possible fee given van den Berg still has two years left on his deal.

Brentford’s model relies on finding value before prices soar — and Rav van den Berg fits the mould. At 20, he's composed, aerially strong, and versatile enough to develop into a top-tier Premier League defender. Add in the sibling synergy with Sepp, and it’s a move that makes footballing — and financial — sense for the Bees.

Middlesbrough are expected to demand more than Brentford’s initial £15m offer. But with Rob Edwards now at the helm and in need of transfer funds to rebuild, a deal could be struck quickly if Palace step aside.

Expect developments in the coming weeks as Andrews pushes for an early breakthrough.

Should Brentford go all in to reunite the van den Berg brothers in defence?