Jorg Schmadtke tells Liverpool not to sign 22-year-old player this summer

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Jorg Schmadtke has reportedly advised Liverpool to drop their interest in VfL Wolfsburg defender Micky van de Ven this summer.

According to WAZ, the Anfield sporting director has told the Reds to stop their pursuit of the 22-year-old centre-back over fears that Van de Ven might not be ready yet for the Premier League, with the defender only being a regular in the Bundesliga for just one season.

As per the report, Schmadtke believes the Dutchman would lack the physicality to perform at a high level in England. And as a result, Liverpool will now no longer look to sign Van de Ven despite weeks of interest in the Wolfsburg star.

Lauded by Football Talent Scout as a ‘tremendous’ talent, Van de Ven is also wanted by Tottenham, and this latest update from Germany could put the north London side clearly out there in the lead to sign the defender, who could be ideal for Ange Postecoglou’s side.

Indeed, although many Liverpool fans would have wanted to see Van de Ven at Anfield this summer, holding off on the defender for a year could be a wise decision from the Reds. Especially if the centre-back doesn’t end up making the move to Tottenham this summer.

Van de Ven could move to Liverpool next year if Tottenham deal collapses

Van de Ven is clearly highly rated at Liverpool with Schmadtke driving the initial interest in the defender. Yet with the sporting director now calling off the move, the Anfield side could make another attempt to sign the Dutchman next summer if Tottenham fail to pull off a deal.

As we know, Schmadtke has considerable power in the German transfer market. And the transfer expert could soon help Liverpool put a deal in place for Van de Ven for the summer of 2024 if Tottenham are unable to agree on a transfer for the defender, a possibility that seems likely.