Fabian Hurzeler gives honest verdict on Brighton's £25m signing after just four starts

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All the latest news for Brighton ahead of their Premier League clash against Brentford

Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler believes midfielder Mats Wieffer will be a “top” Premier League player.

Albion, who host the Brentford on Friday, are without a win in their last seven matches ahead of their clash with the Bees.

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Wieffer, who scored his first goal for the club in Brighton’s 1-1 draw with West Ham last week, joined from Feyenoord in the summer. He struggled to make an impact in the early stages of the season and has made just four starts in the Premier League but Hurzeler has talked up the Dutchman’s ability.

Fabian Hurzeler, Manager of Brighton & Hove Albion, interacts with £25m summer signing Mats WiefferFabian Hurzeler, Manager of Brighton & Hove Albion, interacts with £25m summer signing Mats Wieffer
Fabian Hurzeler, Manager of Brighton & Hove Albion, interacts with £25m summer signing Mats Wieffer

“Nowadays you call it the holding six and I think that this is one of the most important positions in our team,” the German boss said.

“He is very good in possession, he has good passing and a good understanding of the game. Out of possession he is very athletic.

“He is a fast and tall player, so he has the whole package to be a top, top player in the Premier League.

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“He needed a little bit of time to adapt to the intensity and to the speed of everything as it is different to the league he played before, but he was always there in training and he always tried to improve,”

The Dutch midfielder was substituted off in the 56th minute with a knock at London Stadium. Hurzeler hopes any injury to the £25million man is not serious and he can feature on Friday.

“We have to see day by day how he’s going. It’s not perfect how he came from the game, but we’re hoping that it’s not a big issue,” Hurzeler added.

Brentford were handed their first home defeat of the season in their 2-0 loss to Nottingham Forest last week.

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Hurzeler believes Thomas Frank’s side can cause problems, especially from set-pieces, at the Amex Stadium.

“They are really intense,” he said. They focus on things they can influence.

“For example, kick-off is a chance to score. A set-piece is a big chance to score. They really take care of small details.”

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