Sepp van den Berg has clocked a speed of almost 35kmh, earned rave reviews on loan at Mainz and is rated among the best young defenders in Europe... Liverpool may already have an ideal centre-back on the books and can avoid splashing out this summer

Whatever happens at Liverpool in this time of tears and turbulence and mud-slinging towards strikers, don't forget this - they should upgrade their defence.  

Sir Alex Ferguson's old adage says that your defence wins you titles, and while Liverpool's back-line has been good this season, it hasn't been imperious. 

With 36 goals conceded in 35 games, the Reds lag behind the superior records of Arsenal (28) and Manchester City (32), and the table reflects that. 

Losing Joel Matip, Andy Robertson, and Trent Alexander-Arnold to injuries has been a mitigating factor, as has losing Fabinho - that eternal midfield shield - to the clutches of Saudi cash. Matip, immobilised and out of contract this summer, is likely to depart.  

Jarell Quansah has stepped in well, but his pairing with Virgil van Dijk does not yet equate to a Gabriel-William Saliba level of solidity. 

So, what to do? Splash the cash? Well, some think could have an oven-ready option to step up in Sepp van den Berg. 

Perennially farmed out on loan, the 22-year-old has wooed admirers with good performances at Mainz in the Bundesliga this season. 

He is rated as the best under-23 centre-back in Europe's top five leagues by WhoScored.com - you'll never sing that. Van den Berg will be telling his grandchildren about it. 

Could he really be the answer, a panacea hidden in the 'send on loan' list?

In Mail Sport's estimation, the Dutchman should play some role at Liverpool next season, but it's a risk to count him as an instant upgrade. Here's why. 

Why he deserves a chance 

One of the main things Van den Berg has going for him is his pace - and how that fits Liverpool's needs. 

This season, he has clocked a top speed of 34.78kmh with Mainz, faster than any other Liverpool centre-back. 

Ibrahima Konate's recovery pace is a big asset to Liverpool and adding somebody who can improve on that is a plus.

It's particularly relevant to Liverpool because of the high line they play. 

According to Opta, the average start position of Liverpool's attacks - how high the defence is when they recover the ball - is 44.6 metres, the third-highest in the league.

It's a high-risk, high-reward strategy, and it's unlikely to change under Arne Slot, who looks destined to be their next boss. 

Slot's two idols are Klopp and Guardiola and he is known as a slightly gung-ho attacker, so we can expect Liverpool's gambles to continue.

A potentially pivotal factor in Van den Berg's future is the fact that he and Slot were at PEC Zwolle's academy at the same time.

It is unclear if they crossed paths, but a teenage Van den Berg was in the Dutch club's set-up at the same time Slot began his coaching career.  

Regarding his other attributes, he is also a good last-ditch defender. He is in the top 10 per cent of Bundesliga defenders for blocks, clearances, and aerial duels won. 

In fact, only Heidenheim's Tim Kleindienst has won more battles up high than Van den Berg, who stands at six foot, three feet tall. He has chipped in with a couple of headed goals. 

He is fifth in total duels won in the Bundesliga with 348. 

His passing accuracy is 87.55 per cent, higher than Liverpool's current average, though it's good to be cautious about placing too much value on that. 

Clearly he is good at retaining possession, but can he hit a cross-field ball that the likes of Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk can? That remains to be seen. 

Another quality going for him is his versatility.

After struggling to get games on loan at Preston in 2020/21, he switched out to right wing-back and broke into the team. The Lilywhites were so impressed that they had him back for the next season.

Jack Goodwin, a commentator on Preston, tells Mail Sport of fond memories. 'He had a real maturity to his game, with a steady calmness on the ball and suprisingly quick pace to cover the slower middle centre-back.

'I didn’t think he was ready for Premier League football when he departed Deepdale in 2022, but I have no doubt that with two years of Bundesliga football under his belt, he would be ready to make the first-team squad at Liverpool.'

When he reached his 50-game landmark for Preston - he eventually played 66 - local PNE reporter George Hodgson told Anfield Watch: '[He has been] Outstanding. I think I speak for all PNE fans when I say I don’t want him to ever leave.

'He’s bought into the club, the supporters adore him and he performs to a consistently high standard, playing with such maturity for his age.

'Doesn’t moan, gets on with his job and is one of the first names on the teamsheet. It was a huge boost to get him back for this season.'

He also gained experience in the right-sided centre-back role and won the praises of three managers in Alex Neil, Frankie McAvoy, and Ryan Lowe. 

All of this is very useful, offering Slot to experiment playing Alexander-Arnold higher forward if he deems Van den Berg suitable as a full-back. 

The fact that he has played the joint-most Bundesliga minutes for Mainz this season speaks volumes about his consistency and fitness. 

With Matip likely to wave goodbye, it seems sensible to give Van den Berg a shot, at least in a bit-part role. 

Naturally, most fans would trust Gomez, Konate, and Quansah more to begin with, but he could surprise a few and find himself higher in the pecking order than expected, particularly if injuries come into play. 

Why he is a risk  

It's worth qualifying what we mean by 'risk', here. 

Van den Berg is clearly a capable defender and is worth trusting with a place in the squad. 

But allowing Matip to depart and not bringing in a proven replacement will leave Liverpool in a worse position defensively on paper. When Matip is fit, he partners Van Dijk, end of story. 

It sounds hackneyed, but Van den Berg has never cut it at an elite level. Mainz sit in the relegation play-off zone. Last season, he was relegated with Schalke, who had a horrendous defensive record, though he only played nine games due to injury lay-offs. They conceded 21 goals in those nine games. 

Josko Gvardiol, who Man City bought for £78m from RB Leipzig in the summer, recently told BBC Sport that he was 'exhausted'. He has started 32 games, not 50. 

That's not having a dig at Gvardiol. He has been a fine addition to Pep Guardiola's side.

It serves to demonstrate that the physicality of Premier League football is a transition that players struggle with. 

Gvardiol already knew what European runs were like with Leipzig and Dinamo Zagreb before joining City, yet a player of his calibre still feels the effects. 

If Klopp didn't think he was ready for this season, it's a big ask to expect him to consistently start in an elite team next campaign. 

Rune Gjerulff Peterson, editor of Bundesliga news website Bulinews, thinks another loan would be a good move for the defender. 

He told Mail Sport: 'I think it would be a gamble for the Reds to line him up as a starting CB at this stage. Based on his spell at Mainz, he hasn't given me any reason to doubt that he can make that step eventually, but whether he can do it straight away is the big question. 

'Perhaps it would be good for him to go out on loan to a club at a level somewhere between Mainz and Liverpool to get some valuable experience of playing big games and European football.'

What does Van den Berg himself think?

'I think I am doing well. I can handle the level at Liverpool, I can compete, but of course it is still a difference. Virgil and Konate are not small boys,' he said in February. 

'If I go back to Liverpool, they may want me to stay. If I notice that a lot of playing time is not available, then I may have to make the choice to leave. For me it is really important that I play.' 

And therein lies the crux of it. Van den Berg wants to play regular football. If he doesn't, he'll want to go, and all the power to him for backing himself.

'In the years before, I did not have the feeling that I would be in the starting line-up next to Virgil at Liverpool. I don't know yet what that will be like next summer. 

He has bided his time at Liverpool and a succession of loans, but it doesn't appear that he has the same patience towards bench-warming as Caoimhin Kelleher.

Over to you, Arne Slot (probably). And Michael Edwards and Richards Hughes, scurrying through the stats in their offices. How much of a role do you want to give Van den Berg? Enough game time to keep him happy? 

With his performances this season, he won't be short of admirers elsewhere, that's for sure.