Sepp van den Berg transfer confirmed as Liverpool agree £25m deal with Brentford

Sepp van den Berg has completed a move from Liverpool to Brentford in a deal worth up to £25m, ending his five-year spell at the club.

Van den Berg underwent a medical with the Bees on Wednesday and has now become the latest player to depart the Reds, who have now raised over £60m from outgoings this summer.

It’s understood the deal is worth an initial £20m with a further £5m in add-ons with the Reds also inserting a 17.5% sell-on clause into the terms for the 22-year-old.

Van den Berg's departure sees Liverpool's total raised from outgoings this summer continue to swell after the exits of £22.5m Fabio Carvalho to Brentford and Bobby Clark, whose £10m switch to Red Bull Salzburg was made official on Tuesday. Meanwhile the Reds remain the only club in the Premier League not to have made a signing this summer.

The sale represents a huge success for Liverpool, who had been insistent Van den Berg wouldn't leave for a cut-price sum this window, even if the player himself did not agree that his valuation should be so high.

Speaking on the club's tour of the United States last month, Van den Berg said in Pittsburgh: "I know in today’s market [high prices] will happen. For the price they want for me, hmmm…Liverpool may think it is right as I had a good season, if they want £20-£25million, that is a lot more.

"Hopefully we can find a way. Maybe I stay, maybe I go. The first reaction from me is that it was quite high! But it is also a compliment. For me, it is about playing time. If I get it here, there is no better place to be. Of course, [the price tag] is a compliment. But it makes it difficult. £20m is majorly high.

"Of course, I am here now. Liverpool is one of the biggest, if not the biggest club in the world. It has always been my dream. I am here to show myself I am Liverpool worthy. If he gives me a chance and likes me, there’s a big chance of me staying. But we are still early in the window so we will see.

"I spoke with [Slot] on my first day. He said to me, I have to show myself in pre-season. I had my own visions, I want to play. We will see what happens. But I am happy here. My goal is to play football next year so we will see if it is here or somewhere else."

With Southampton having paid £20m to sign Taylor Harwood-Bellis from Manchester City after his efforts to help them gain promotion back to the Premier League and Bournemouth sealing a £15m deal for Dean Huijsen, who played just nine times in Serie A last season for Juventus, Liverpool have been determined to see their asking price for Van den Berg met.

The Dutchman has made just four senior appearances for the Reds since his move from Zwolle five years ago with two of those coming in extraordinary circumstances in late 2019 and early 2020.

The centre-half was part of the youngest-ever starting line-up for Liverpool when an academy team was fielded in a 5-0 defeat to Aston Villa in the League Cup in December 2019 while the first team were away at the Club World Cup in Qatar at the time.

Less than two months later he featured in a 1-0 win over Shrewsbury Town at Anfield in an FA Cup replay after Jurgen Klopp had given himself and his established players the night off. As well as playing for Mainz last term, Van den Berg has also previously spent time on loan with Preston North End and Schalke.