Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Mats Wieffer has admitted he finds the €30m the club paid for him bizarre.
Soccer News cover comments from the 26-year-old today. He discusses his move to Brighton two years ago and his new role as a right-back.
Wieffer joined Brighton in a €32m deal back in the summer transfer window from Feyenoord. He’s a product of FC Twente’s youth academy, working his way up to the U21s before joining Excelsior in 2020.
Two years followed there before he joined Feyenoord in a €575,000 deal. He went on to make 79 appearances for the Dutch club, establishing himself as a key player with nine goals and 11 assists.
€30m fee bizarre
Brighton came calling in 2024, sealing a €32m move for the midfielder at the time. He’s since managed 49 appearances for the Seagulls.
That figure they paid, according to Transfermarkt, is the highest that Wieffer has even been valued. He’s now sitting around the €25m mark. And the midfielder admits he finds the transfer fee bizarre.
“€30 million for me… that’s very strange, of course. It actually makes no sense,” he said.
“Yes, these kinds of sums have become normal in football, but if you really think about it, it’s bizarre.”
Brighton’s new right back
This season has seen Wieffer playing as a right-back once again thanks to a need in the position this year.
It’s a new role for the midfielder, who made six appearances in the position last season. This year, he’s up to 16 appearances, the latest coming in the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal.
It’s a big change for him, given hi career so far has been spent in midfielder. He has 97 appearances as a defensive midfielder and 70 as a central midfielder.
He’s okay with the change, insisting that he’s happy as long as he’s playing in the Premier League.
“It started out of necessity: I was injured, came back, and we had no defenders, so I had to play there,” he added.
“And ever since, the manager has been a fan. Also because I bring something to the attack and can get into midfield. But the most important thing is that I’m playing. And: playing in the Premier League at right-back is still the Premier League.”
The question is whether it’s a long-term solution for the Seagulls. They certainly didn’t pay €32m for him to fill the role.
But with Joel Veltman the only recognised right-back in the squad at this moment in time, it’s clearly an area that needs addressing this summer. If not, Wieffer may need to get used to it.
