Thomas Frank spoke of Brentford making a "statement" after the club convinced Sepp van den Berg to join them over German double winners and Europa League finalist Bayer Leverkusen.
The 22-year-old penned a five-year contract on Thursday following reports that both Brentford and the Bundesliga invincibles had agreed a fee with Liverpool of £20 million plus £5 million in add-ons - a deal which also includes a 17.5% sell-on clause.
Van den Berg garnered interest amongst several suitors, including Bundesliga runners-up Stuttgart, after a successful loan at Mainz last season, in which he was an ever-present for the Rhineland-based club.
He appeared in 33 of their 34 league matches under three head coaches, proving to be a standout performer in a side that struggled for most of the campaign, before a sharp upturn in form post-February secured their top-flight status.
Frank described the centre-back as a "great player with an even bigger potential" and feels it's a statement of intent that the club was able to secure his signature despite top level competition.
"I heard the rumours about Leverkusen," he confessed.
"If that's true then it's a statement that players want to come to us over top clubs.
"We know that we are interesting because we have a fantastic environment, we have a good team, we are a good club, and we are growing so [I am] very happy that he wants to join the ride and the journey, and we are looking forward to having him in the squad."
Thriving at the Back and in Attack
There's good reason why the west London club moved to make him what could be their most expensive ever centre-back signing.
Frank described him as a player that "ticked a lot of boxes", one that possesses a great poise and composure on the ball, decisive decision making, an imposing aerial presence, and a pace that saw him record a top speed of 34.78 km/h in the Bundesliga last season.
Van den Berg was a key component in Mainz winning the second most aerial duels in the German top-flight last season (806) with 5.42 per 90 minutes - a statistic that ranks him in the 99th percentile amongst Bundesliga centre-backs during 2023/24 campaign, as per FBref.
He also ranked high in the website's algorithm in the same category for clearances per 90 (5.04 - 87th percentile) and blocks per 90 (2.09 - 97th percentile). It's apparent that he's a profile that will be well-suited to Brentford's game.
The centre-back also offered a presence in the opposition's box with three goals for Mainz, including a towering header against Champions League finalist Borussia Dortmund and a rebound on his final appearance in a 3-1 win over Wolfsburg in May.
Brentford are renowned for their threat from set-pieces and Frank issued the statistic that his centre-backs have scored an accumulative 20 goals since the Bees' promotion in 2021 - a Premier League high, according to the 50-year-old.
Van den Berg's tally exceeds that of Nathan Collins (2), Ethan Pinnock (2), Ben Mee (2), Kristoffer Ajer (1) and Mathias Jorgensen (1) last season, which could mean his aerial presence will offer another dimension in attack.
While Frank says there's not a set target for his centre-backs to reach, unlike other positions, he admits that it's an attribute the club considers when exploring new options in that position.
"You need to get a certain amount of goals out of your squad or your team," he told VAVEL.
"Of course, you always want the front two or front three to score a lot of them, but can you add one, two, three, four, five from a centre-back? It’s invaluable, it’s fantastic.
"Everyone knows that we are good on set-pieces and put focus on it, so when you put focus on it we need someone who’s able to actually header the ball into the back of the net, and that’s some of Sepp’s qualities.
"He’s good at that and I think he can improve even more. He’s got good potential and good timing."
Transfer Fees Reflect Ability and Potential
Van den Berg's arrival at Jersey Road saw him become Brentford's second signing from this weekend's opponents for a sizeable sum.
Ten days prior, the Bees announced the arrival of 21-year-old Fabio Carvalho for a reported £22 million, which could rise to £27 million with add-ons - a fee that would make him the club's second most expensive signing, behind £31 million Igor Thiago.
There has been a trend in their activity this summer, one that has seen them spend an accumulated £73 million, excluding add-ons, for three players aged 23 and under - a figure that is expected to increase with the impending arrival of 18-year-old Gustavo Nunes from Gremio.
Some questions were raised over how much Liverpool were receiving for the duo, despite them making a combined 25 appearances, with the Merseyside club making a considerable profit on their initial investments.
VAVEL asked the head coach whether transfer fees are now less reflective of a player's present ability but more of a hypothetic on what they could become.
"It depends a bit on the age," he answered.
"Let’s say Sepp and Fabio are two young players that have already done well, but Fabio hasn’t played that much the last two years, so that's probably on potential.
"Sepp has played more – but I agree, depending on where you cut it, it’s definitely something to do with potential.
"It seems clubs are buying younger and younger, and it’s getting more and more expensive."
