Championship outfit reportedly set to pursue Liverpool defender | OneFootball

Championship side Preston North End are reportedly interested in a deal to sign Liverpool defender Sepp van den Berg ahead of next season.

According to the Lancashire Post, van den Berg is a player Preston will be attempting to bring back to the club on loan after he spent the second half of the 2020/21 campaign at Deepdale.

The report claims Preston have first priority over van den Berg if Liverpool decide that he needs to go back out on loan to the Championship.

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ANFIELD WATCH VERDICT

Van den Berg seemingly caught the eye during his short time on loan at Preston, as the club are now keen to bring him back for a second spell. The Dutch defender played multiple positions for Preston before settling in as their first-choice right-back, averaging an impressive WhoScored rating of 6.9 across nine starts at right-back – making 16 Championship appearances overall. This shows that he was able to establish himself in Preston’s team and string together a consistent run of performances, despite only turning 19 last December.

There is no need for Liverpool to rush van den Berg’s development. He is still a teenager and could do with another year of regular first-team football before then looking for the next step up. Therefore, sending him back to Preston with a manager who already knows him and wants to work with him could be a good move by Liverpool, as it could allow van den Berg to go out and play 30-40 games next season. The Dutchman could then gain some valuable experience and mould himself into a player ready to attack the Premier League, either with Liverpool or another club on loan.