Perception and narrative is a curious thing in football. Approximately two and a bit years ago, new Brighton defensive midfielder Mats Wieffer was plying his trade in the second tier of Dutch football, helping Excelsior win promotion back to the Eredivisie. He was by all intents and purposes a complete unknown to most fans outside of the Netherlands.
Now, after becoming Feyenoord’s largest ever player sale, he is a Premier League footballer, a Dutch international whose injury absence was seen as a blow to his country’s Euro 2024 hopes, and is viewed by many as one of the best young players in his position.
Often, the compulsive rush to quickly hype a young player falls wide of the mark. And, combined with Brighton & Hove Albion’s shaky track record in signing players from the Netherlands (welcome to the discussion, Alireza Jahanbakhsh), one can understand a certain degree of eyebrow raising among Seagulls fans at making Mats Wieffer the third most expensive signing in the club’s history. Ultimately, he has only had two years of high-level, regular football.
Yet as someone who was fortunate enough to watch Wieffer’s two years of impressive development at Feyenoord in their atmospheric De Kuip stadium, I can confirm that on this occassion, such a positive judgement is justified.
It is often the case that a rough diamond just needs the right environment and pressure to truly shine and that was certainly the case for Wieffer under Arne Slot in Rotterdam.
The new Liverpool coach with a strong track record of young player development took a calculated punt that Wieffer would thrive in front of De Kuip’s 51,000 fans.
He wasn’t wrong. Undoubtedly, the Eredivisie is a few rings below the quality and glare of the Premier League. Yet it is doubtful that you will find a more ferocious and hostile atmosphere to play in than a De Klassieker derby against Ajax.
The intense battles against PSV Eindhoven, another old rival, would also make many an experienced player lose their way.
Yet over two seasons in red and white Wieffer took to such contests like a duck to water, never being afraid to get on the ball despite the febrile surroundings, something that is vital for a deep-lying midfielder and impressive for a young player.
The progress of the 24-year-old wasn’t expected to accelerate at such speed. Indeed, after an injury-hit first few months aligned with a gentle integration to first-team football, Wieffer didn’t even begin a game for Feyenoord until mid-way through his first season.
Tellingly, after that first start he ended January 2023 being voted as the club’s player of the month. He then repeated that feat in February.
Since Slot’s appointment at Liverpool, much has been made of Feyenoord’s 2022-23 season and the brilliant, front-foot football he got them playing on their way to the title.
At the centre of it was, to the surprise of many fans, Wieffer, the young player who had previously failed to make the cut at Twente and only been signed for €575,000 the preceding summer.
In the second half of the season he started all but one of eighteen league games, missing just a dead-rubber for the final match due to suspension.
He formed an excellent and balanced partnership alongside captain Orkun Kokçu, which was at the heart of some key results, such as Feyenoord’s first win away at Ajax since 2005 that all but clinched the league. In less than a year, Wieffer had gone from an Eerste Divisie player to a full Dutch international.
When Kokcu departed, it was not new signing Ramiz Zerrouki who became the vital cog in the centre of the park as expected last season but Wieffer, who started in 41 of his 42 appearances in all competitions.
He seamlessly stepped up to competing in the Champions League and, whilst Feyenoord couldn’t match a relentless PSV in the league, he still played a huge role in their KNVB Cup victory, despite missing the final with the ankle injury that cost him a likely Euros place.
Wieffer was twice named in the Eredivisie team of the month and made the team of the season for many Dutch national media titles.
He became a more rounded defensive midfielder able to construct attacks and make an impact in the final third, as well as being a duel monster and ball winner.
In addition to being in the top 90 percent in the league for ground duels, aerial duels, tackles and interceptions, Wieffer’s attacking output rose too with five goals and three assists as well as his first goal in the Champions League. Not bad for a relatively inexperienced defensive midfielder.
So, what actually defines Wieffer? At over six feet, he is a physically imposing midfielder whose speed and general movement contradicts what you would expect for someone of that size.
Rather than simply defending space, Wieffer’s preference is to snap into tackles and nip in front of opposition players in order to kick-start fast transitions, which he will often lead with driving forward runs.
Like many a Dutch midfielder, his first thought on the ball is to play it forward with accuracy and speed, and he is comfortable collecting the ball from the defence.
As you would expect with someone of his height, aerially he is strong. And as demonstrated by the attacking numbers, Wieffer’s ability to break into opposition penalty areas has become another string to his bow.
Naturally there is room for improvement, particularly when being able to retain possession when under a strong press.
Mats Wieffer is not the finished product – but Brighton will be very much aware of this. It will be exciting to see how he develops under the tutelage of Fabian Hurzeler.
Finally, the Seagulls are getting a strong yet grounded character into their ranks. This is a player who has had to work hard to get to where he is and is believed to have given careful thought before the move, reportedly asking Netherlands goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen for advice before signing his five-year contract at the Amex.
An ambitious individual – he is said to have wanted to move to Atletico Madrid last summer – Mats Wieffer will relish the challenge of stepping up to play for Brighton in the Premier League.
Does he see it as a stepping stone for another move in a few years time? Perhaps. Yet this is someone who will always play with absolute full commitment.
Joe Baker @BakerJoe21
