According to reports, Liverpool made a last-ditch effort to sign Mats Wieffer, but they will likely fall short when Brighton and Liverpool came to an agreement.
Arne Slot speaking to Feyenoord midfielder Mats Wieffer. (Image: Photo by Silvia Lore/Getty Images)
It appears that Brighton & Hove Albion will be the team to let go of Mats Wieffer, which would be the first transfer failure for Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.
De Telegraaf, a Dutch publication, said on Thursday that the Reds were trying their hardest to sign the midfield player. Merseyside has allegedly made “desperate” attempts to entice him to the North West, despite the fact that he appears to be destined for a move to the AMEX Stadium.
Their attempts seem to be in fruitless, though, as he approaches a transfer to the Premier League. The 24-year-old is well-known to Slot because the two worked together at Feyenoord. Wieffer made his Eredivisie, Champions League, and Europa League debuts after the new Reds manager acquired him from Excelsior.
According to the De Telegraaf, the club and Fabian Hürzeler’s team have a verbal deal worth £25 million (€30 million) plus add-ons. Later, on Thursday, Fabrizio Romano tweeted that the Seagulls and the Dutch Cup holders had achieved a personal terms agreement, reinforcing the original statement.
In the past, Slot has praised his former midfield player and predicted that the 24-year-old will rank among the world’s top midfielders. “Mats Wieffer has made a huge advancement in his development,” he declared. That is something I can truly enjoy.
“So great that he will become the world’s greatest player if he repeats it. Naturally, that is not feasible for any football player. However, Mats has room to improve.”
The 45-year-old will formally take the stage as Liverpool’s head coach this Friday, July 5, at 11 a.m., when he addresses the gathered media. With Jurgen Klopp’s resignation at the end of the previous season, the Feyenoord tactician was given the responsibility of replacing the German coach.
In his first interview through official club channels, Slot remarked of his conversations with Klopp, “I did the same in my former clubs when I started over there.”
“However, in my opinion, it’s equally crucial to hear my own viewpoint on that. If someone has worked at a club for nine years and has been extremely successful, you want to hear everything about it directly from him as well as information about the players.
As a result, you can only make use of all the information he has because he performed so well—not just in terms of the outcomes, but also, I believe, in terms of his popularity, which was evident both in the years leading up to his departure.
“He gave me a lot of helpful advice, but what really stuck out to me was how happy he was for me and that he would be my biggest fan going forward because he loves Liverpool in the best way, which is something you don’t see very often. I believe he also said this in the media. Thus, it also reveals a lot about his character how he handled this circumstance.”
