Brighton have signed Dutch defensive midfielder, Mats Wieffer, from Feyenoord in a deal worth £24million as they prepare for the upcoming 2024-25 Premier League season.
The 24-year-old has reportedly signed a five-year contract with the club and is set for a new chapter with the Seagulls.
After a disappointing start to his career in Eredivisie with FC Twente, Wieffe finally got off the mark when he sealed a move to Excelsior in 2020. An impressive two-year campaign with Excelsior saw the midfielder attract interest from current Liverpool manager, Arne Slot.
His career peaked at Feyenoord, having joined Feyenoord in 2022. He proved an integral part of Slot’s Feyenoord setup and played a role in helping the club win the Eredivisie title in 2023, and then the KNVB Beker last season.
“We’re delighted to welcome Mats to the club, a player whose qualities we have admired for a long time,” said Brighton’s technical director David Weir.
Though Wieffer made his Netherlands debut in March last year, he was not called up by Ronald Koeman for Euro 2024 but is still expected to play an important role in the Dutch national team soon after an impressive debut.
Brighton beat the competition from other Premier League clubs to sign Wieffer. Newcastle United and Everton led the list of clubs who were interested in the youngster following his polished career with Feyenoord.
He will link up with his former Feyenoord team-mate Yankuba Minteh, who joined Brighton from Newcastle United in a £33m deal last week.
Mats Wieffer
Mats Wieffer is a Dutch professional footballer who played as a midfielder for Feyenoord in Dutch Eredivisie but is now set for a new chapter with Brighton in the Premier League.
Wieffer started his career in 2010 playing for FC Twente Youth for 8 years before transitioning into the club’s reserve team in 2018. He made only one league appearance for the side before joining the club’s first team the same year. In the first team, Wieffer struggled for game time throughout his two-year spell. He recorded only one league appearance for the side.
After a deadlocked start with the Enschede-based outfit, the youngster finally breathed back life into his career after he joined Excelsior. At Excelsior, he made 65 Eredivisie appearances, scoring 5 goals.
In June 2022, he joined Eredivisie giants Feyenoord on a four-year contract. He made 54eague appearances for the club, scoring 6 goals.
Mats Wieffer stats
Since he made his first professional appearance in football, Wieffer has tallied 158 club appearances, scoring 15 goals. He made 2 appearances in all competitions for FC Twente, 45 with 5 goals for Excelsior, and 42 with 6 goals for Feyenoord.
On the international scene, he has made 9 appearances for the Netherlands with a goal.
Mats Wieffer Contract
Wieffer has reportedly signed a five-year contract with Brighton till 2029 with the Seagulls paying £24million for his services. His estimated salary has yet to be revealed. However, he is reportedly set to earn a relatively higher wager at the Premier League outfit than he did at Feyenoord.
