EPL club move ahead of Liverpool in chase for £22m colossus who Slot said could be world’s best
Liverpool appear to be lagging behind in the transfer race for a player who Arne Slot has said could potentially become the best in the world.
According to Graeme Bailey for HITC, the Reds are among several Premier League clubs to have shown an interest in Mats Wieffer, although Brighton have moved ahead of the lot by opening talks with the representatives of the Feyenoord midfielder.
The 24-year-old is valued at £22m by the Rotterdam outfit (Sport), with Serie A trio Atalanta, AC Milan and Napoli also admirers of him.
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Despite signing four midfielders last summer, Liverpool could still be on the lookout for a number 6 in the current transfer window, with Wataru Endo into his 30s and Stefan Bajcetic still quite young and only just making his way back after a long-term injury absence.
Wieffer could fit the bill for the Reds, given his modest valuation and his previous experience of working under Slot at Feyenoord, with the 45-year-old previously saying that his fellow Dutchman could ‘become the best player in the world’ given his rate of development and his inherent talents.
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As per FBref, the 24-year-old ranks quite highly across a wide range of performance metrics in comparison to positional peers in Europe’s major leagues and continental tournaments over the past 12 months.
He actually features among the top 1% of midfielders for blocks and aerial duels won per 90 minutes, along with the top 5% for non-penalty xG per game, the top 6% for progressive passes per match and the top 7% for interceptions per 90.
That highlights Wieffer as a number 6 who excels in terms of his work off the ball while also being enterprising when in possession, an ideal combination which explains why so many clubs in England and Europe are seeking to secure his services this summer.
He looks very much like a player who’d fit the bill for Liverpool, but if Slot is craving a reunion with his former Feyenoord colossus, then Anfield chiefs may need to hit the turbo to prevent Brighton from accelerating away into the distance as far as this transfer pursuit is concerned.
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