Arne Slot was the man in the running to replace Jurgen Klopp after he left the Liverpool helm, and the 45-year-old new manager was highly regarded for his character, style of play and youth development, having also led Feyenoord to a domestic league title.
A number of players from his old club, Feyenoord, have indeed been linked with a move to Liverpool.
At the moment, no concrete moves have been made for any of them, but some media reported interest in Dutch midfielder Mats Wieffer, who has moved to Brighton.
However, the 24-year-old midfielder explained the background to his decision to make his first challenge in the Premier League, revealing that Liverpool never made a move, although there were other candidates besides Brighton.
“There were a few clubs, but not really as concrete as Brighton. Liverpool were not actually an option.”
“I had been in discussions with 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 actually known me for a very long time,”
“I played well at Feyenoord for a year and a half and thought this was the right time for me to make this step,”
“Especially when you see what Brighton have done in recent years. With training players, selling good players, the way of playing and how much they wanted me. These are all things that are very positive.”
Voetbal Primeur
He was coached by Slot for two seasons at Feyenoord.In total, he scored nine goals and provided 11 assists in 79 games for the club, and also made his debut for the Dutch national team in March 2023. He has made nine appearances so far, scoring one goal.
How well will he perform in the Premier League, where the league level is significantly different from the Eredivisie…?