Sepp van den Berg joins Brentford in deal which could reach £25m; defender had interest from Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen; the 22-year-old joins former Liverpool team-mate Fabio Carvalho in west London
Thursday 22 August 2024 20:09, UK
Brentford have signed defender Sepp van den Berg from Liverpool.
The centre-back was signed by the Reds for £4.4m in 2019 from Eredivisie side PEC Zwolle and made four senior appearances for the club.
Brentford have agreed to pay £20m up front for the defender - who has signed a five-year deal - as well as £5m in performance-based add-ons.
In addition, there is a 17.5 per cent sell-on clause.
The Bees beat off competition from German champions Bayer Leverkusen, who were ultimately not ready to follow through on signing the centre-back.
Speaking to the club's official website, Brentford head coach Thomas Frank said: "I'm very pleased that we have managed to sign Sepp. 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."
Van den Berg has been watched for a long time by Brentford and the relationship between the two clubs is a positive one.
Frank's side have already signed a Liverpool player in the transfer window this summer, with Fabio Carvalho joining in a £27.5m deal.
Carvalho spent last season on loan in the Championship with Hull City and also received interest from newly promoted duo Leicester City and Southampton.
He put pen to paper on a five-year-deal, which also includes the option to extend his stay in west London for an added 12 months.
Fabio Carvalho revealed why he made the decision to leave Liverpool on a permanent basis to join Brentford this summer.
"I'm not going to just sit on the bench because what's the point?" he told Sky Sports after joining Brentford from Liverpool in a £27.5m move.
"I want to play football and show the world what I'm capable of, and why I train so hard every day. I'm not going to be able to do that by sitting on the bench."
