Bart Verbruggen plays down Liverpool talk: ‘Life is beautiful’ at Brighton

Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen says he has no interest in thinking about his next move, despite reported interest from Liverpool and Aston Villa.

The 24-year-old has been one of the standout players of the Premier League season. According to the Liverpool Echo, he has kept a division-high seven clean sheets in 10 matches.

Fabian Hurzeler’s side head into the international break second in the table, five points behind leaders Arsenal.

Liverpool and Villa have both been reported as admirers. These are reports of interest rather than bids, and neither club has commented.

Bart Verbruggen: ‘It would be a real shame’

Speaking to Dutch broadcaster NOS while on duty with the Netherlands, Verbruggen made clear his focus is on the present.

“Right now we’re doing really well at Brighton. So it would be a real shame to ruin that by living in the future,” he said. “I really try to stay in the moment, to focus on what is currently going on. I enjoy that, and that is also how I perform best.”

He did not rule out a bigger move in future, but said now was not the time. “I think that is an evaluation you have to make when the moment is right,” he said. “And that is absolutely not the case now.”

‘For now, life is beautiful’

Verbruggen believes looking too far ahead would affect his performances.

“If you start living in the future or the past, I think your performance goes down,” he said. “So I try to stay away from that. For now, life is beautiful.”

He also credited his team-mates. “I feel like I’m in the zone and I’ve hit good form,” he said. “But of course, when a team is running well, it is easier for individuals to shine.”

His latest clean sheet came in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Brentford at the Amex.

Why Liverpool are watching

Liverpool’s interest is about the long term. Alisson Becker, 34, has a contract that runs until June 2027, and the Brazilian has said he wants to stay. Read more in our story on Alisson wanting a new Liverpool contract as his agent opens talks.

Liverpool are already planning ahead. The Echo reports they signed Giorgi Mamardashvili and Ármin Pécsi last year, and have agreed a £30m deal with Genk for Lucca Brughmans to join next summer. That makes any move for Verbruggen a longer-term idea, if it happens at all.

It is not the first time he has been linked with Anfield. The Echo notes he was tied to Liverpool while still at Anderlecht, before he joined Brighton. He also impressed against them last month, as our Liverpool vs Brighton player ratings show.

Aston Villa’s interest

Villa’s reported interest has a different angle. OkayGoal says Zion Suzuki only joined Villa from Parma in the summer, but has been linked with Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid. If that talk grows, Villa may want a replacement who already knows the Premier League.

What happens next?

Verbruggen’s immediate focus is the Netherlands, who play Greece in Amsterdam on Friday and Germany in Berlin on Monday in their final two Nations League group games.

At Brighton, he has made his position clear. Any move looks like a summer conversation at the earliest, and Brighton are under no pressure to sell a goalkeeper in this form while they sit second.

For more, visit our Premier League news hub, and look back at his display in our Brighton vs Brentford player ratings.

Bart Verbruggen FAQ

Is Bart Verbruggen joining Liverpool?
No move has been agreed. Liverpool and Aston Villa have been reported as admirers, but Verbruggen says he is focused on Brighton.

How many clean sheets has Bart Verbruggen kept this season?
Seven, the most of any Premier League goalkeeper so far.

Who are Liverpool’s other goalkeepers?
Alisson Becker, Giorgi Mamardashvili and Ármin Pécsi. Lucca Brughmans is due to join from Genk next summer.