31 Mar 2017

'German Messi' to Anfield? Liverpool Reps fly out to watch 'outstanding' €33m sensation who wants transfer to 'England'

Liverpool are once again being linked with a move for one of the Bundesliga's most coveted young attacking players.

In July 2016, Sportbild claimed that Jurgen Klopp contacted Schalke to enquire about signing Max Meyer, and according to The Mirror this week:

"Jurgen Klopp remains keen on Max Meyer, who impressed him during his time as manager at Borussia Dortmund. Klopp had spies at England U21s vs Germany last week [to watch Meyer]".

Some info about €33m-rated Meyer, who is dubiously dubbed the 'German Messi:

* Central attacking midfielder, who can also play on the left or right.

* Schalke: 43 goals/assists in 157 games (One every 222 mins)

* Scouting Report (Strengths): "Exceptional control and dribbling. Excellent balance. Uses his creativity to carve out chances on a regular basis".

* Scouting Report (Weaknesses): "A liability when it comes to defending. Completed less than a tackle per game in the Bundesliga".

* June 2016: Meyer told reporters: ""If I leave for another league, I'd like to move to England"'

* Nov 2016: When asked about interest from Liverpool, 'outstanding' Meyer confirmed: "There was interest and the club was asked, but Schalke put a stop to it."

* Mar 2017: After a 3-0 defeat to Bayern, Schalke boss Markus Wienzierl barked: "He [Meyer] went into six duels in the first half and won just one. The numbers speak for themselves. I don't need to say more."

Meyer usually plays as a central attacking midfielder (72% of games for Schalke), and Liverpool are already oversubscribed in that position. As such, it makes little sense to spend big bucks on yet another number-10. Unless, of course, Klopp is planning to make changes in that area. Coutinho, for example. If - as many expect - he ultimately ends up in La Liga, Liverpool will need a replacement.

In my view, it shouldn't be Meyer, though. A player with no appetite for the physical side of the game won't last five minutes in a Jurgen Klopp team. Plus, Meyer is only 21, and he's yet another young player who needs to stay with his current team for 2-3 more years and properly develop before moving to a bigger club.



0 Comments:

Post a Comment