Verbruggen plays down the prospect of leaving Brighton for Liverpool

Bart Verbruggen has played down speculation linking him with Liverpool, saying he is happy at Brighton and wants to maintain his form rather than look ahead to a transfer. Speaking to NOS, the 24-year-old goalkeeper said he was enjoying his football at Brighton and saw little point in considering other destinations for now.

The team’s strong start helps explain his focus on the present. Brighton were second before the November international break, while Liverpool and Aston Villa have reportedly shown interest in the goalkeeper. At the same time, Liverpool’s goalkeeping situation has prompted speculation about a possible recruitment before next season. The club may also continue to assess its options for the longer-term future of its goalkeeping department, but Verbruggen’s comments offered little indication that a departure is imminent.

“Right now, we’re doing really well at Brighton. It would be a shame to spoil that by living in the future,” he said. He believes thoughts about what lies ahead — or what has passed — can affect a player’s level. “If you start living in the future or the past, I think your performance goes down. So I try to stay away from that. For now, life is beautiful.” His approach is to concentrate on what is happening and what he can do from one day to the next.

On the possibility of a change, he said the assessment should wait: “That is a decision you have to make when the moment is right. And that is absolutely not the case now.” He also credited Brighton’s collective performances with helping his personal form. “I feel like I’m in the zone and I’ve hit good form. But when a team is running well, it is easier for individuals to shine.” Football Presse says Fabian Hürzeler’s side have helped the goalkeeper build his clean-sheet record through their defensive organisation.

Verbruggen had been linked with Liverpool before, including during his time at Anderlecht. He is currently joint-top of the Premier League clean-sheet standings with Arsenal’s David Raya, with both on seven. For now, the goalkeeper’s priority is to maintain his form and help Brighton build on its strong start to the season.