On-loan Liverpool defender Sepp van den Berg has commented on his immediate future as his current spell at Schalke 04 nears its conclusion.
The 21-year-old joined the Bundesliga outfit for the duration of 2022/23 last August (LFC official website), and both he and a prominent figure at the Gelsenkirchen club have been speaking out about what they hope will happen next.
As reported by WAZ (via Get Football News Germany), Die Königsblauen want to extend the Dutchman’s loan into a second season.
Their head of licensing Gerald Asamoah said: “Ultimately we have to see how the situation is after the season. We all hope to stay in. Then maybe there’s a chance to persuade Sepp to stay.”
Van den Berg also seems keen on spending another season with Schalke, saying: “In the two games against Bremen and Mainz alone I gained great experience. But the Bundesliga is a great opportunity for me. If Schalke want to keep me, I’m definitely open to staying.”
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The defender has seen his campaign ravaged by an ankle ligament injury which kept him out for seven months (Transfermarkt), but he’s made a telling impact for his team since his recent comeback.
His equaliser in his first game back against Werder Bremen paved the way for a last-gasp 2-1 victory, and his side followed that up with a win at Mainz, their third in four games as they put themselves on course to remain in the Bundesliga, having spent much of the season in the relegation zone.
He had started every match for Schalke prior to his injury and came back into the line-up last weekend (Transfermarkt), so opportunities for game-time at the Veltins Arena seem plentiful whenever he’s available.
The same probably couldn’t be said at Liverpool, where the abundance of centre-backs available to Jurgen Klopp has left Nat Phillips a firm fifth in the pecking order, playing just 232 minutes in the current campaign (Transfermarkt).
The manager might be keen to have a look at Van den Berg in pre-season, but it still seems likely that both the defender and his present loan club could get their mutual wish for 2023/24 if the first-team door at Anfield remains shut for the 21-year-old.