Liverpool defender Sepp van den Berg hoping to impress new boss Arne Slot in the US pre-season tour
Liverpool defender Sepp van den Berg has provided a fresh update on his future at Anfield amid exit links this summer.
The Dutch defender has been heavily linked with a move away from Anfield, having failed to break into the first team under previous boss Jurgen Klopp. However, there is a change in the managerial hotseat now with Arne Slot replacing Jurgen Klopp, and Sepp van den Berg having returned to the club from a positive loan spell at FSV Mainz, he is hoping to get playing opportunities at Liverpool this term.
In the absence of experienced centre-halves Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, the 22-year-old began the Reds’ first game of the US pre-season tour against Real Betis at the Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Friday and played 63 minutes.
After the 1-0 win over Real Betis, courtesy of a first-half strike from Dominik Szoboszlai, Van den Berg outlined his aspirations to stake his claim in the first XI under new boss Arne Slot.
“I played 45 minutes in the first game [a behind-closed-doors match against Preston], 60 in this one and I hope to make more minutes in the next two games,” Van den Berg told Sky Sports.
“For me, it’s perfect. I can show myself in training [and] in the games, get game time, get rhythm, so it’s been very good.”
When asked about his future, the Dutchman stated: “I’m still a Liverpool player. I enjoy it here, really. Like I said it’s been a very nice pre-season, a new coach, a new era starts, fresh training, a new style of play, so I really like it.
“If I can do it here there’s no better place, it’s one of the biggest clubs – if not the biggest – in the world so if it is here it is my dream. But for me the most important thing is to play so we will see what happens.”
Liverpool have not made any signing so far this summer and with less than a month left for the 2024/25 Premier League season to commence, they have to move quickly now to bolster their squad. Following the release of experienced defender Joel Matip in June, the Reds’ depth in central defence have been depleted.
While Slot would love to bring in a new top-quality centre-back to fill in the void left by Matip, there will also be an eagerness to find an in-house solution. In that case, Van den Berg could be an option for the Dutch tactician.
After excelling on loan at Mainz in Germany, Van den Berg has returned to Anfield with some more first-team experience under his belt. He stood out at the back for Mainz, and considering his impressive performances in pre-season training as well, it is no surprise that Liverpool and Slot both are keen to retain the defender amidst interest from PSV Eindhoven and TSG Hoffenheim.
Sepp, for his part, is keen to move away. But his latest comments could suggest that there could yet be a future for him at Anfield.
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Still only 22, the Dutchman is still very young and deserves to get a chance at our club. Van den Berg is still a few years away from sniffing his prime and a potential future pairing of him and academy starlet Jarell Quansah in central defence could be one that excites the fans. It is clear Slot and his coaching staff will evaluate Van den Berg’s performances over the US pre-season tour before making a final decision on him.
