Jorg Schmadtke, newly appointed sporting director of Liverpool, is reportedly set to hold talks with his former club Wolfsburg about a move for defender Micky van de Ven. Schmadtke was previously sporting director at Wolfsburg and is said to be focusing on the German market in his new role. Van de Ven recorded 36 appearances in all competitions for Wolfsburg and is said to be a “huge fan” of the 6’4″ centre-back. He has operated as both a left-back and a centre-back for his club side, and is expected to command a fee of “at least” £34 million.
Towards the end of the season, Liverpool shifted Trent Alexander-Arnold into a hybrid role across right-back and central midfield, meaning that they spent large portions of matches operating with a back three. Wolfsburg also played with three defenders on six occasions towards the end of their campaign, with Van de Ven starting five of those games and playing on the left in three of them. The 22-year-old has also been paired with Liverpool loanee Sepp van den Berg four times for the Netherlands under-21s, with Erwin van de Looi’s team also predominantly playing with three at the back. Both players have been named in the squad for the upcoming U21 Euros, making Van de Ven a potentially ideal defensive fit for Liverpool.