Brighton are set to sign Feyenoord midfielder Mats Wieffer. The 24-year-old was one of the best young players in the Eredivisie and has the potential to be one of Premier League’s best midfielders.
For Brighton, Wieffer gives the Seagulls physicality in their midfield that they severely missed last season after selling Moises Caicedo. He was second in the league for blocks and in the top ten for interceptions, tackles, and dribblers tackled.
Wieffer’s passing ability is also very impressive. He ranked in the top ten for passes into the final third, progressive passes, and for a number of other passing metrics. This was mostly due to Arne Slot’s system, but Wieffer was key to that system, so I can’t knock him too much.
Here’s how new Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler’s system could look now that the Seagulls have signed Mats Wieffer.
Defense
GK – Bart Verbruggen, CB – Lewis Dunk, CB – Jan Paul van Hecke, CB – Igor Julio
Mats Wieffer’s signing doesn’t affect Brighton’s back line. At least I don’t think it will.
Hürzeler likes to use the middle center back of his back three as a defensive midfielder in possession.
Jan Paul van Hecke is the most athletic of Brighton’s current back three and has played defensive midfielder before. This makes him an ideal candidate to fill this role in Hürzeler’s system. However, if he decides to really think outside the box, Hürzeler could roll out Carlos Baleba or Wieffer as his middle center back.
Midfield
RWB – Joel Veltman, CM – Pascal Groß, CM – Mats Wieffer, LWB – Pervis Estupiñán
Assuming Pascal Groß does not sign for Borussia Dortmund this summer, Wieffer should slot in right alongside him as one of Brighton’s main midfield two.
Wieffer could play a more roaming No. 8 role or alongside the middle center back in a double pivot, while Groß gets to go forward as a playmaker in possession. If Wieffer doesn’t live up to the hype, expect Baleba to play here.
Attack
RW – Solly March, ST – João Pedro, LW – Kaoru Mitoma
After the signings of Yankuba Minteh and Ibrahim Osman, Brighton have an abundance of attacking talent. This is even more true if Deniz Undav sticks around.
This front three is who I think will start on Matchday 1, but I wouldn’t be surprised if none of these front three play. That’s how many options Brighton have right now.
