Confirmed: Liverpool announce first summer signing as Klopp snaps up Dutch starlet

Liverpool FC
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Liverpool have officially announced that they’ve agreed a deal with PEC Zwolle for talented young defender Sepp van den Berg.

As per the Reds’ official site, they’ve noted that they’ve also agreed a long-term contract with the 17-year-old starlet, and so he has become their first signing of the summer as he also posed in the kit and gave his first words as a Liverpool player.

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Van den Berg made 15 appearances for Zwolle in the Eredivisie last season, and it appears as though the early signs were promising enough to convince Liverpool to make their move and snap him up.

It’s a huge move for the teenager though, as while the expectation is that he will be given the chance to settle and develop with the youth side before knocking on the door for a chance at senior level under Jurgen Klopp, he has been given a major opportunity to showcase his quality at the highest level.

Further, the chance to learn and work alongside compatriot Virgil van Dijk will be something that he relishes too, given the Liverpool defensive rock has quickly established himself as one of the top centre-halves in Europe.

As noted in his comments below, Van den Berg is excited about what the future holds for him, and he’ll hope to now deliver on the faith shown in him by Liverpool and emerge as a key figure for them in the coming years.

“It’s just an amazing feeling,” he told the club’s site. “It is, for me, the biggest club in the world and it’s a dream come true. I am really excited.

“I’ve seen what kind of players from the Academy grew into the first team here. It is unbelievable, especially when this kind of big club does that.

“Of course, the trainer [Jürgen Klopp] is a great guy and one of the reasons they are successful – and also one of the reasons I came here.

“I think this is the best place for me to grow and hopefully play a lot of games here.”

Klopp has plenty of quality in defence at his disposal for the more immediate future, but adding Van den Berg gives him more depth and an opportunity to help develop another young player into a key figure in his starting XI over time.

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