One midfielder who was linked with Liverpool earlier this summer before joining a different Premier League club has said that Anfield was never ‘really an option’ for him.
Prior to his transfer from Feyenoord to Brighton at the start of July, the Reds had reportedly shown an interest in Mats Wieffer, with De Telegraaf even claiming that LFC were plotting an 11th-hour hijack of his eventual move to the Seagulls.
Speaking to Viaplay (via Voetbal Primeur), the 24-year-old has revealed that a switch to Merseyside had never been on the cards at any stage, despite reports to the contrary.
The Dutchman outlined: “There were a few more clubs, but none as concrete as Brighton. Liverpool was not really an option. I had been talking to Brighton for a long time and had the feeling that they really wanted me.
“Before I went to Feyenoord I had already spoken to Union [Saint-Gilloise]. They work together with Brighton, so they have known me for a very long time. That feeling was immediately very good.”
It’s a shame that Liverpool were never truly in the mix to sign Wieffer despite their reported interest, as the 24-year-old could’ve been just what Slot is looking for in his midfield.
As per FBref, he ranks quite highly across a wide range of performance metrics compared to positonal peers in Europe over the past 12 months, featuing among the top 1% for blocks per 90 minutes, top 2% for aerial duels, top 7% for interceptions and top 10% for tackles won per game.
Those numbers suggest that he’d have given the Reds an uncompromising presence in the number 6 role, and at 24 he’s in that perfect intersection of already boasting ample experience while still having the bulk of his career ahead of him and being about to enter his peak footballing years.
Bearing all that in mind, not to mention his connections with Slot from Feyenoord, it seems surprising that Liverpool didn’t try harder for Wieffer, whose comments suggest that Brighton’s interest was more enthusiastic than any other suitor.
Alas, Richard Hughes has 30 days remaining to bring in the defensive midfielder that LFC still need, and we trust that August won’t elapse without, at a minimum, a sustained effort at recruiting someone in that area of the pitch.
