Liverpool defender Sepp van den Berg leaves Anfield on loan as club confirms move

Liverpool defender Sepp van den Berg has left the club on loan for a third successive season.

The 21-year-old centre-back first joined Liverpool from Dutch side PEC Zwolle in 2019 and made four appearances for the Reds in the 2019/20 campaign.

He was sent on loan to Championship side Preston North End in January 2021 on an initial six-month deal, which was extended by a further year.

The Dutch defender went on to make 66 appearances for the Lancashire club, scoring twice.

Last season, he was loaned to German giants Schalke but was only able to make nine first-team appearances, with a serious ankle injury disrupting his season.

Van den Berg was forced to undergo surgery in October and after initially returning to training during the winter break, he was then forced out again after he complained of ongoing pain in his ankle.

He later returned to reserve team football in March but was unable to regain his place in the Schalke first-team.

Liverpool have now confirmed that the defender has joined another German club, Jurgen Klopp's former side Mainz, on loan for the 2023/24 campaign.

Mainz finished ninth in the Bundesliga last season and are set to begin their new season with a trip to Elversberg in the DFB-Pokal on August 12.

"I had talks with Mainz and especially with Bo Svensson early on, I really like the way he sees football and wants it to be played here," Van den Berg told Mainz's website.

"Of course, before I came here, I was involved too Jurgen Klopp spoke – he raved about Mainz and said that I would feel very comfortable here.

"I've been here in the stadium, know the fans and I'm happy to achieve something together with the team."

"Sepp is a young, incredibly talented central defender who already brings a lot: He has technique, understanding of the game, physicality and mentality," added head coach Bo Svensson.

"We had very good discussions and both sides quickly had the feeling that it was a good fit. Together we want Sepp take it to a new level and do it better in order to be able to develop its potential even further."