“Premier League Rivals Vie for Feyenoord Star Mats Wieffer as Brighton Leads the Charge”
Brighton and Hove Albion are leading the race to sign Mats Wieffer, a midfielder from Feyenoord who is also targeted by Aston Villa, Liverpool, and Fulham, after submitting a bid up to £30 million. According to HITC, Brighton has reached an advanced stage in discussions with the 2023 Eredivisie champions and aims to finalize the deal soon.
Despite significant interest from Aston Villa, Brentford, Fulham, and Liverpool, Brighton is currently in the best position to secure Wieffer’s signature. Liverpool has been monitoring Wieffer for about a year, well before it became known that Jürgen Klopp was considering a break from top-level management.
Fabian Hurzeler’s side has confirmed that a bid has been made, which, if accepted, could bring Feyenoord up to £30 million including add-ons and bonuses. Wieffer is eager to move to the Premier League, and Brighton is working to finalize the deal quickly to avoid last-minute competition from other clubs.
At just 24, Wieffer’s rapid development in the Netherlands has been impressive. After joining Feyenoord from second-tier Excelsior in 2022, he quickly became a key player in Arne Slot’s system, contributing significantly to Feyenoord’s domestic success last year. An untimely injury prevented him from potentially starting for Ronald Koeman’s Dutch side at the European Championships this summer at Brighton, Wieffer could fill the void left by Moises Caicedo during a challenging season under Roberto de Zerbi.
Aston Villa and Liverpool are also interested in Wieffer. In the 2023/24 season, only two Eredivisie midfielders surpassed his 2.9 successful tackles per game. Like Caicedo, Wieffer is an excellent passer who often breaks lines with his distribution and has a powerful shot from outside the penalty area.
Pierre van Hooijdonk, former striker for Celtic, Nottingham Forest, and the Netherlands, told ESPN, “I think he is better than we think in the Netherlands because he has remained under the radar for a long time. His rapid development surprises us, and we may not fully appreciate his qualities when considering a transfer to a top European club.”
Aston Villa, another club monitoring Wieffer, recently compensated for the loss of Douglas Luiz by signing Enzo Barrenachea, a deep-lying, ball-winning midfielder, as part of the deal that sent Luiz to Juventus.