Liverpool have agreed a deal to sign 17-year-old centre-back Sepp van den Berg from PEC Zwolle as boss Jurgen Klopp plans for the future.

The Reds are sitting pretty as European champions having atoned for missing out on the Premier League title by downing Tottenham to scoop Europe’s biggest domestic prize.

The Anfield rearguard has come in for special praise over the past 12 months, with Virgil van Dyke widely regarded as the best central defender in world football.

They conceded just 22 top-flight goals in 2018-2019 but lost out to Manchester City by a single point and the two current heavyweights of English football are busy preparing for another assault on glory.

The Merseysiders have swooped for the in-demand youngster, who was also on the radar of clubs such as Ajax, Bayern Munich and PSV Eindhoven, and he will officially join on July 1.

It seems likely that the Netherlands Under-19 ace will start off as part of the youth set-up before working his way into the first-team picture but Klopp clearly sees him as someone who could make a difference in the long term.

The teenager made 15 appearances for PEC Zwolle in the Eredivisie last term despite his tender years. The starlet is Liverpool’s first signing of the summer and it remans to be seen if there are too many more, with Klopp already possessing a talented squad of players.

Whether or not it is a two-horse race for the title next term once again only time will tell, and Liverpool can be backed at 3.20 to win the league while City are on offer as the 1.60 favourites.