Brentford have confirmed the capture of defender Sepp van den Berg from Liverpool in a deal worth up to £25m. After rejecting interest from several European clubs, he joins the West London side on a five-year contract.
The Bees will pay an initial £20m fee, with an additional £5m in add-ons for the centre-back, while Liverpool have inserted a 17.5% sell-on clause in the contract. German champions Bayer Leverkusen were keen to add Sepp van den Berg to their defensive ranks, but Brentford have acted swiftly and agreed a deal with the Reds.
After having offers from multiple Bundesliga clubs as well as from Eredivisie giants PSV Eindhoven, Van den Berg has chosen to remain in England and continue his development. The 22-year-old is expected to play regularly under Thomas Frank, who has developed a reputation over the years of nurturing young talents and helping them realise their true potential.
Following the Netherlands youth international’s acquisition, Thomas Frank has hailed him as a “great signing” for the club.
“I’m very pleased that we have managed to sign Sepp,” said Brentford head coach Thomas Frank. “I think this is a great signing for the club and the team.
“Sepp is a centre-back with a good level and he has the potential to develop even further.
“He fits our culture and the way we want to play: he is quick, he reads the game well and is composed on the ball in the build-up and in the decisive defending actions.
“Sepp is a great character, and I am convinced that he will fit in well with the group and help us to push forward.”
Sepp van den Berg is a smart buy for Brentford
Van den Berg joined Liverpool from Eredivisie club PEC Zwolle in 2019 but struggled to break into the first team under former boss Jurgen Klopp. As a result, he was farmed out on loan to Preston North End, Schalke and Mainz.
The 22-year-old made just four appearances in his debut season at Anfield, featuring in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup. He failed to do anything significant on loan Schalke due to an ankle injury that limited him to only nine games. Having returned to the Bundesliga at the start of the 2023/24 season on loan with Mainz, the Dutchman amassed 35 appearances across all competitions and rebuilt his confidence.
A strong season in the German top flight with Mainz has seen Van den Berg now seal a move to Brentford. Given it was difficult to get regular minutes ahead of senior defenders such as Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate, it perhaps makes sense for Van den Berg to move on to pastures new from Liverpool.
The Zwolle-born defender needs regular game time to continue his development and Frank may just be the right manager to help him unlock his true potential in west London.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
