According to reports, Liverpool are now eyeing a move for Bundesliga ace Max Meyer alongside Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur as Jurgen Klopp seeks more options in his attacking third with just a day to go. The youngster is in the last year of his contract and given his huge demand across Europe, FC Schalke aren’t expected to keep hold of him.
Liverpool have started their campaign in a brilliant fashion with the Reds winning two of their opening three games and qualifying for the UEFA Champions League group stages. The brilliant manner in which they went into the international break would surely have got the fans excited, which was bettered by their announcement of Naby Keita from Red Bull Leipzig.
However, one cannot just overlook the lack of options on the bench that the German gaffer has. Playing a three-man midfield, Klopp has very little options in reserve to fill the places week in week out and the situation was further compounded by the injury of Adam Lallana who is expected to return next month.
Meyer has been a long-term target for Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino, and now with the player going public about his desire to look beyond Germany in the coming days, will surely put them on red alert. He said, “Let’s see what happens. I declined the [contract] offer because I was not satisfied with my personal situation. I just saw no chance to develop. It would have been the wrong step, however, because the overall situation has changed.”
Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah have been Liverpool’s biggest source of goals this season so far and Klopp would surely be wary of the time when they get injured or serve a suspension. Barring Phillipe Coutinho, Klopp doesn’t have a proven option to deputize on the flanks, which justifies their interest in Meyer.
The 21-year-old German international is tremendously versatile in the attacking third and he showed it in the recently concluded Under-21 Euro Cup. However, regardless of all his exciting attributes, the player has shown tremendous inconsistencies time and again that has prevented Schalke from asking for a bigger price in such an inflated market.
Previous reports have suggested that the club would agree to a price in the region of £20 million for him, a price easily affordable for any of the Premier League clubs. But with a number of other clubs also in the race, we have to see whether this move materialises or not.
