New Liverpool director Jorg Schmadtke is set to spearhead the side’s incursion into the German Bundesliga this summer, with a move for Wolfsburg youngster Micky van de Ven on the books, according to Mark Douglas.
Liverpool are set to play in the UEFA Europa League next season after a disappointing campaign, and the Reds are prepared to rebuild their squad ahead of next season.
The Reds appointed former Wolfsburg sporting director Schmadtke to oversee this process, replacing Julian Ward. The German will work closely with manager Jurgen Klopp on transfers this summer.
Douglas reports that impressive defender van de Ven has been identified as a potential quality addition to the squad. The 22-year-old has impressed for Wolfsburg and is one of the highly-rated defenders in the Bundesliga this season.
“The German’s arrival opens the door to the possibility of further recruits from the Bundesliga and one name mentioned in his homeland is Wolfsburg’s promising youngster Micky van de Ven”, Douglas wrote for inews.
“The 22-year-old centre-back is one of the division’s most sought-after defenders and sources close to the player have indicated that Liverpool are one of the clubs who have been tracking him.”
Liverpool news: Who is Micky van de Ven?
Wolfsburg centre-back van de Ven was signed to the German club by Schmadtke from FC Volendam in 2021. The youngster has featured 35 times for his club this season and is captain of the Dutch U-21 team.
Van de Ven is a left-footed central defender capable of playing as a full-back. The 22-year-old is very quick on his feet despite standing at 193cm tall, with a top speed of 35.87 kmph this season. He provides a unique profile that is currently not available in the Liverpool squad.
Valued at €18m, van de Ven will provide a cheaper and younger alternative to Napoli’s Kim Min-Jae, who had previously been on the club’s radar. He is represented by the agent of Ryan Gravenberch, another target of the Reds.
Van de Ven will learn a great deal from playing alongside compatriot Virgil Van Dijk at Liverpool if his deal goes through. The youngster will be a quality addition to help the side through its rebuild as he has a very high ceiling.
