Report: Arne Slot has been seriously impressed by £4m Liverpool player and will test him in pre-season

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has now decided that he wants to give one of the club’s understated talents an opportunity in pre-season.

Right now it seems as if Slot has finalised his transfer plans with Liverpool’s new hierarchy of decision makers, and things could ramp up in the coming weeks.

(THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Arne Slot head coach of Liverpool during a training session at AXA Training Centre on July 07, 2024 in Kirkby,...

If early summer reports are to be believed, Liverpool are interested in signing a centre-back and a new wide-forward.

Perhaps the addition on a winger will hinge on Luis Diaz’s future on Merseyside, who is currently at Copa America with Colombia.

Diaz has flirted with a move to Barcelona this summer, even if a departure currently seems unlikely.

And in terms of a vacancy at centre-back, the long-term future of captain Virgil van Dijk is still unclear, given his contract will expire in a year’s time.

That being said, Joel Matip’s departure likely means Liverpool will seek a new recruit anyway, even if Jarell Quansah stepped up last season when Ibrahima Konate’s form was indifferent.

However, 22-year-old centre-back Sepp van den Berg could still change those plans.

Sepp van den Berg will get Liverpool pre-season chance after Mainz bid rejected

Van den Berg spent last season on loan at Mainz in the Bundesliga and impressed in his 36 appearances.

And according to The Athletic, Slot has been seriously impressed by the centre-back who joined Liverpool from Dutch side PEC Zwolle for £4m in 2019.

(THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Jayden Danns and Sepp van den Berg of Liverpool during a training session at AXA Training Centre on July 07, 2...

Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Van den Berg has now spent time away on loan at Preston North End, Schalke and Mainz as mentioned.

And having turned down bids from Mainz and Wolfsburg this summer, which didn’t meet Liverpool’s £20m valuation, the Dutchman will now get a chance to claim a squad role under Slot.

According to the report mentioned, Van den Berg actually registered the highest average speed during running tests at Kirkby over the weekend.

And Slot and his staff believe that the defender’s technical ability went up a level during his time in the Bundesliga.

Therefore, it certainly seems promising that Van den Berg could not only have a Liverpool future, but also could be in contention for first team minutes in the new season.