I spoke to Xabi Alonso about joining Bayer Leverkusen from Liverpool

I spoke to Xabi Alonso about joining Bayer Leverkusen from Liverpool - but I couldn't wait

Sepp van den Berg has admitted he had interest from a former Liverpool hero before eventually swapping Merseyside for Brentford

Sepp van den Berg pictured battling for the ball with Diogo Jota in a Liverpool pre-season training session in July (Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images )

Sepp van den Berg has admitted he spoke to Liverpool legend Xabi Alonso about a summer transfer to Bayer Leverkusen. But the young defender revealed he couldn't wait for the deal to go through.

Van den Berg called time on his Liverpool career in August after he sealed a £25m move to Premier League rivals Brentford.

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But it has since come to the light that the 23-year-old had a number of options including German giants Leverkusen, who are managed by Alonso.

Van den Berg confirmed he spoke to the former Anfield favourite, who was part of the Reds team that famously won the Champions League in 2005, after the defending Bundesliga champions agreed to meet his price tag.

He told VoetbalPrimeur said: "I spoke to Xabi Alonso, as well as to people higher up at Leverkusen. Leverkusen could pay the transfer fee that Liverpool wanted, but someone had to leave before they could get me.

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"I didn't want to wait for that. Brentford were very interested in me from day one and very positive about me.

"The overall picture has to be right, of course, but in recent years I have learned that it is very important that the club and coach really want me. Leverkusen, with Xabi Alonso, (Jeremie) Frimpong, Champions League football and trying to become champions of Germany again would have been nice too.

"But I could have gotten the perfect picture at Brentford, while I was still in the waiting room at Leverkusen. So then I chose this with full dedication."

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Before being sidelined by a knee injury, Van den Berg had been a virtual ever-present for the Bees, impressing both at centre-back and right-back.

His move to west London ended his five-year stay on Merseyside. The Dutchman only made four senior appearances for Liverpool during that time, instead spending the majority of it on loan with Preston North End in the Championship and then Schalke and Jurgen Klopp's former club Mainz in the Bundesliga.

He held talks with Klopp's replacement, Arne Slot, before deciding to move to Brentford.

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But given the defensive injury problems Reds boss Slot has had to contend with this season, Van den Berg recently admitted that he had wondered whether he should have stayed put.

"I had a few conversations with Slot," he recalled to Voetbal Primeur. "But before the pre-season started, I already indicated to the club that I wanted to leave and play minutes.

“After the pre-season, Liverpool indicated that I had done so well that they wanted me to stay. But I did not really see that happening myself. It was all my choice, I am happy that I now play in the Premier League every week.

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“I would be lying if I said that I did not dream of returning to Liverpool one day. That is still on my mind.

"But for now, it was better for my career to take a different path and play a lot. That is what I am doing now and that allows me to develop as well as possible.

"I would be lying if I said that I didn't look at that (Liverpool’s defensive injuries) myself. That's football, you don't know."

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