Liverpool are certain to be in the market for new players this summer given their ambitions to compete on all fronts.
Jurgen Klopp may have exited the Merseyside club, but he left them in a very good place, with Champions League football coming back to Anfield.
That is a massive boost for incoming boss Arne Slot, who certainly doesn’t have to build a team from scratch.
The Dutchman will have plenty of big decisions to make when he arrives for pre-season, with a few areas of his squad needing to be strengthened.
One area that has been discussed a lot in recent times is defence, with a lack of defensive stability a major reason for the club’s failures last season.
Arne Slot can turn to ‘excellent’ Sepp van den Berg
Liverpool had plenty of young players out on loan last time out, in a bid to prepare them for senior football at Anfield.
And one man who has definitely impressed away from England recently is centre-back Sepp van den Berg.
The 22-year-old joined the Reds all the way back in 2019, but has made just four appearances for the club.
That is primarily because he has spent the majority of his Liverpool career out on loan, having been sent out to Preston North End, Schalke and most recently Mainz.
And the defender certainly enjoyed himself in the Bundesliga, with Van den Berg the highest-rated centre-back in the German top flight last season, as per WhoScored.
Returning loanee can save Liverpool money
The Reds will need to splash the cash this summer if they are to bring a top centre-back to Anfield to partner Virgil van Dijk, or even support him.
Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez are already present in the Liverpool squad, but Slot will need further reinforcements, particularly with Joel Matip having moved on.
But turning to Van den Berg could be a very wise option, particularly given that it would save the Reds plenty of money on both transfer fees and wages.
The defender earned great reviews during his time in the Championship with Preston, with Lancashire Live impressed by his “excellent” displays.
The 22-year-old has shone with his tackling and ball-winning in the Bundesliga, but somewhat surprisingly he has also caught the eye with his speed.
Recording a top speed this season at 34.78km/h, the Liverpool loanee ranked in the top 25 in terms of Bundesliga players, and the top five when it comes to centre-backs.
His Anfield future may even have the added boost of his and Slot’s connection to PEC Zwolle, with both having played for the Dutch club.