Brighton and Hove Albion’s £25m summer signing Mats Wieffer has set the record straight on his link to Liverpool.
Wieffer, 24, agreed join the Seagulls after two excellent seasons in the Eredivisie with Feyenoord. The Netherlands international midfielder made 79 appearances for the Dutch club, scoring nine goals with 11 assists.
Brighton had a long-standing interest in Wieffer and their sister club Union SG even tried to sign him two years ago from Excelsior before his move to Feyenoord in 2022.
Wieffer is expected to be a key player for Fabian Hurzeler’s side this term but there were reports that Liverpool tried to hijack the Brighton deal with a last ditch bid. The new Liverpool head coach Arne Slot successfully worked with Wieffer for the last two seasons at Feyenoord.
“There were a few clubs,” said Wieffer via Voetbal Primeur. “But not really as concrete as Brighton. Liverpool were not actually an option. I had been in discussions with Brighton for a long time and had the feeling that they really wanted me.
“Before I went to Feyenoord, I had already spoken to Union [Saint-Gilloise]. They work together with Brighton. So, they have actually known me for a very long time,” Wieffer added.
Brighton’s style of play and how they deal with players was also a key reason why Wieffer chose the Seagulls at this stage of his career.
The defensive midfielder said: “I played well at Feyenoord for a year and a half and thought this was the right time for me to make this step. Especially when you see what Brighton have done in recent years. With training players, selling good players, the way of playing and how much they wanted me. These are all things that are very positive.”
