Brighton and Hove Albion’s latest acquisition, Mats Wieffer, is being touted as twice the player Declan Rice is, suggesting the Seagulls have struck gold with their recent signing.
Television presenter Hans Kraay Junior has boldly claimed that Wieffer, who recently joined Brighton in a €30 million transfer from Feyenoord, surpasses the Arsenal star in talent.
This move adds to an already busy summer for Brighton as they look to bolster their squad under new manager Fabian Hürzeler.
Wieffer, a highly regarded midfielder from the Netherlands, made his mark since joining Feyenoord from Excelsior in July 2022. His impressive performances had caught the attention of several top clubs across Europe, including Atletico Madrid, who were linked with him during the January transfer window.
Since Brighton announced the signing, the consensus has been that Wieffer is a player of immense ability, with some speculating that he could have joined a more prestigious club had he waited longer.
Hans Kraay Junior reinforced this sentiment, asserting that Wieffer is already superior to Declan Rice. “I’m still in contact with the newspapers there, we called them about four weeks ago,” Kraay said. “I told them they could sign him without hesitation; he’s exceptional with the ball. His first touch is superb, and he is a fantastic player.”
“They called me again, saying, ‘You’ve already told us three times that he’s such a good player, but we didn’t believe it. You can’t be that good for €30 million.’ They think it’s just a tip-off there. €116 million for Rice? Wieffer is twice as good.”
