Liverpool are set for a swift reunion with Sepp van den Berg and Fabio Carvalho after both players joined Brentford, with Arne Slot explaining why they left.
After forming part of Slot’s core squad in pre-season, Van den Berg and Carvalho have now left the Reds in a double move to Brentford worth £52.5 million.
It should prove to be exceptional business for Liverpool, who have made up to £40.4 million in profit before sell-on fees are paid to PEC Zwolle and Fulham, and gives both players more chance of regular first-team football.
Those were two of the reasons Slot outlined as he explained the decision to sell ahead of Brentford‘s visit to Anfield on Sunday.
“I think they brought in two really talented and good players,” he told reporters on Friday.
“Then you could ask yourself the question, ‘why did they leave?’.
“The both of them played a lot of minutes last season and I think the both of them wanted to continue that journey of playing time.
“I think they were able to play for us, but there is so much competition in the positions that they play that they wouldn’t play every minute of every single game.
“Then it’s a good deal. A really good deal for us and I think it’s a good deal for Brentford and it’s also a good deal for the players.
“So everybody’s happy, unless they do too well on Sunday!”
With Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Jarell Quansah and possibly Joe Gomez ahead of Van den Berg in the centre-back pecking order, the Dutchman made it clear his priority was game time.
The same was apparent for Fabio Carvalho, who returned from a successful loan at Hull but would be competing with Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo for a spot on the left wing.
Brentford were very willing buyers and the likelihood is that they will be key players in Thomas Frank’s squad given the outlay sanctioned.
Slot has insisted that they would have been welcomed into his first-team setup if they had stayed, but there is no ill feeling regarding their moves.
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