Liverpool star sold for £25m considers return after discussions with Arne Slot and transfer doubts.
Sepp van den Berg has admitted he would love the opportunity to return to Liverpool and has questioned whether he should have stayed at Anfield last summer. The defender impressed in pre-season before securing a £25m move to Brentford.
Before suffering a recent knee injury, the Dutchman had been a key player for Thomas Frank’s side, starting 24 of his 25 appearances and excelling in both central defense and right-back roles.
Van den Berg, who joined Liverpool from PEC Zwolle for £1.3m in 2019, made only four senior appearances for the Reds, spending most of his time on loan at Preston North End, Schalke 04, and Mainz 05 before leaving permanently.
He chose to depart Anfield in search of regular playing time, a decision he still believes was right. However, given Liverpool’s defensive injury struggles this season—affecting Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Bradley, Ibrahima Konaté, and Joe Gomez—he has wondered whether staying might have been a better option.
“I had a few conversations with Slot,” Van den Berg told Voetbal Primeur. “But before pre-season, I had already told the club I wanted to leave to get more minutes.
“After pre-season, Liverpool said I had done well and they wanted me to stay. But I didn’t really see that happening. It was my choice, and I’m happy to be playing in the Premier League every week.
“I’d be lying if I said I don’t dream of returning to Liverpool one day—that’s still on my mind. But right now, the best thing for my career was to take a different path and play regularly to develop as much as possible.
“I’d also be lying if I said I didn’t think about Liverpool’s injuries. That’s football—you never know what will happen. I did well in pre-season and could see myself playing for the club, but not with the same status I now have at Brentford.
“Here, I’m a guaranteed starter when fit. At Liverpool, I would have been more of a backup. I prefer to be a regular starter. And who knows, if I continue to perform well for two or three years, maybe I’ll return to Liverpool and establish myself as a key player there.”
