Liverpool starlet Sepp van den Berg is set to join German side FC Schalke 04 on a season-long loan.
According to The Athletic, Liverpool starlet, Sepp van den Berg is set to join German side FC Schalke 04 on a season-long loan.
The young Dutchman joined the Reds from PEC Zwolle in 2019 and has made four appearances for the Reds since. He represented the club at the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup and was in the side that won the trophy. Van den Berg joined Championship side Preston North End on an eighteen-month loan in the winter window last year and enjoyed regular game-time at Deepdale Stadium.
Now back at Anfield, he was heavily linked with a loan move to another Championship side, Blackburn Rovers this summer. However, that is not to be, and he will now move abroad to experience life in Germany. It should give him a good perspective of the game in the Bundesliga and also pit him against better players, further aiding his development.
Van den Berg was an unused substitute in Liverpool’s first four games this season. With Joel Matip back in training and Ibrahima Konate also recovering, the young Dutchman will at best be the sixth choice centre-back at the club. The Reds have decided to keep on Nathaniel Phillips, and the cult hero will serve as the fifth choice centre-back.
The move to Germany does not appear to be the end of the road for Van den Berg at Anfield. The 20-year-old has penned a new long-term deal before leaving on his loan deal. It will, at the very least, preserve the defender’s value should his performance draw in suitors.
Despite his promise, the youngster is still rough around the edges and needs refining. The prospect of him upping his talents while on the Liverpool bench is unlikely, and a loan deal makes perfect sense. All eyes will now be on how he will perform this season.
Loan deals have seen the likes of Harvey Elliott make a case for themselves to be included in Jurgen Klopp’s first team plans. Van den Berg will do well to follow in the young midfielder’s footsteps and refine his game. Opportunities like this don’t come along too often, and the onus is now on him to take it with both hands.