Brighton officially signed Newcastle winger Yankuba Minteh on Sunday for £30 million. The 19-year-old Gambian spent last season on loan with Feyenoord. The Seagulls were clearly watching that side closely as they have now been linked to another top star from Arne Slot’s former team.
According to 1908.nl, Brighton have made Feyenoord’s Mats Wieffer one of their top transfer targets. The Seagulls have already had a bid rejected. However, they are expected to make another push to sign him soon.
Wieffer started 29 matches in the Eredivisie for Feyenoord last season and was one of the brightest young players in the entire division.
Playing as a double-pivot in a 4-2-3-1 or as a roaming No. 8 in a 4-3-3, Wieffer was at the center of everything Feyenoord did last season. The 24-year-old was 10th in the Eredivisie for touches overall and among the league leaders for passes into the final third and progressive passes.
Much of this has to do with Feyenoord’s dominant attacking system, but Wieffer would not have been among the league leaders if he did not thrive in the system. For Brighton, this bodes well, considering how the Seagulls typically like to maintain possession and dictate tempo.
Defensively, Wieffer was second in the league for blocks and in the top ten for interceptions, tackles, and dribblers tackled.
Overall, Wieffer is a very well-rounded player, which is something Brighton’s midfield desperately lacks right now with Pascal Groß reportedly on the way out. Carlos Baleba is very solid defensively, but lacks creativity going forward. Gilmour, meanwhile, is not the best defensively, but does a very good job of playing the right pass and keeping possession.
If he can handle the step up to the Premier League, Wieffer could easily play a starting role for Brighton ahead of either Baleba or Gilmour.
The Seagulls reportedly will need to spend at least £30 million for Wieffer. They are also not the only club chasing his signature. Liverpool, Tottenham, and other big clubs are also interested in Wieffer. He is reportedly one of AC Milan’s top transfer targets.
With such big competition, it will be tough for Brighton to get their man. If they do though, Brighton will have signed a great player who could potentially pick up right where Pascal Groß left off.
