Feyenoord midfielder Mats Wieffer is reportedly closing in a move to Brighton with Liverpool said to be looking to make an attempt of luring him to Anfield alongside his former coach Arne Slot.
Wieffer had been linked with a move to the Reds before Slot had joined as the new head coach, with those rumors only intensifying when the move was made official for his former boss to replace Jurgen Klopp at Anfield. However, it is Brighton who appears to have shown more interest in acquiring him with multiple sources suggesting a move could be wrapped up this week.
A defensive midfielder with impressive defensive and forward passing metrics, Wieffer looks to be an ideal long-term answer for Liverpool at the position. The Reds settled on 30-year-old Wataru Endo last season after missing out on both Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.
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While Endo impressed in his debut season at Anfield, it's unlikely that he'll be seen as the long-term player at the position, even being linked with a move away from the club this summer. Wieffer is a player who Slot has already spoken highly of, with the Reds potentially looking to hijack the deal with Brighton and giving the new head coach his first signing.
When speaking on Wieffer's development last season, Slot told Voetbal International : "Mats Wieffer has made a mega leap in terms of development. I can really enjoy that. So big that, if he does that again, he will become the best player in the world. That is of course unrealistic, for any footballer. But Mats can get even better."
Wieffer has excelled since moving to Feyenoord in 2022, making nine appearances for the international squad and being seen as one of the better defensive midfielders in the European leagues.
Brighton are said to have agreed a fee of around $38 million for him, with Liverpool intriguingly yet to match that fee. However, OneFootball has suggested that the Reds will still look to see if they can bring him to Anfield.
Liverpool is yet to make a signing so far this summer, with some fans beginning to worry on their transfer plans - hoping they do not leave it too late and miss out on their preferred players as they had with Caicedo and Lavia last summer.
Liverpool.com says: It is extremely difficult to make the case against signing Mats Wieffer this summer, and feels bizarre that the Reds have not looked to move on this earlier. Wieffer looks to be a clear upgrade over Endo, while being six years younger and having familiarity in Slot's system.
The transfer fee' being discussed is almost exactly the amount of money that Liverpool usually look to spend on midfielders. They will find it very tough to sign a player of his qualities for such a low price. Reds fans will hope that Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes have a plan here, they may will be eyeing an alternate who they believe has a higher ceiling... or could they be hoping to see Stefan Bajcetic take a big step in his development?
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