Dutch defender Sepp van den Berg is on the verge of leaving Liverpool having been spotted arriving in Germany.
As per journalist Patrick Berger for Sport1 on Twitter, van den Berg was seen touching down in Gelsenkirchen ahead of a move to Schalke.
Berger reports that although the 20-year-old is close to a season-long move to Schalke, another German club is still ‘in the race.’
Either way, it looks virtually certain that van den Berg will spend the season away from Liverpool again. Best of luck, Sepp!
van den Berg looking to take another step towards Liverpool
Yesterday morning it had looked as though van den Berg would be on his way to Blackburn Rovers for the campaign.
Unfortunately for the Championship club, they look to have been trumped by a team offering top-flight football.
There is a conversation to be had as to what would be more useful for van den Berg’s development. Having already spent 18 months in the Championship with Preston North End, it may have been good for him to continue his progress in England.
But the Bundesliga offers a step-up in quality. He’ll be facing top-level opposition on a regular basis. As a young defender, the benefit of that can’t be underestimated.
Schalke have just sold centre-back Malick Thiaw to AC Milan. As a result, there could be a place in the starting XI up for grabs.
Should van den Berg be able to get in the team and stay there, this could turn out to be the perfect step for him.
On the little evidence we saw in pre-season, he’s coming along nicely as a player. By the time he returns next summer, he should be closer to being ready for Liverpool.
The other club involved haven’t been named yet. But unless it’s a place where he’s certain to get more football, Schalke looks like a nice fit.
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