Schalke has confirmed that their German midfielder Max Meyer has turned down a new offer to extend his stay at the club. According to recent reports, the 22-year-old midfielder has refused to pen a new deal with the Bundesliga club with his current contract set to run out at the end of the season.
Max Meyer is set to make a summer switch away from Gelsenkirchen when he becomes a free agent in June. The German has mostly been deployed as a holding midfielder this season under Domenico Tedesco. He also turned down an offer last year and has now turned his back on an improved offer as well which clearly indicates that his future lies away from the Arena AufSchalke.
Some sources have recently claimed that Schalke has offered him a £5m-a-year contract to make him the team’s highest earner. However, the club’s sporting executive Christian Heidel has revealed that the offer has been turned down and was quoted to have said,
“Max Meyer’s agents, on Jan. 12, received an offer limited until Feb. 15, and on Feb. 15 informed us via email that Max has turned down the offer because of the time limit,”
“We duly noted it and for now are not bound by it. This does not mean that he will not prolong his contract.
“Schalke must press forward with their planning for the new season.”
In a separate interview, he also added: “If Max Meyer approaches us and says he wants to continue playing for Schalke, that’s wonderful. But we can’t and won’t wait for much longer.”
Meyer has featured in 25 matches for Schalke this season and scored once while providing one assist in all competitions.
The Reds are believed to have a long-term interest on the player, who can also operate in the number 10 position, and the stage is now set for them to make a move for the German enforcer next summer. The Merseysiders are currently occupying 3rd place in the Premier League table after securing a comfortable 4-1 victory at home to West Ham United on Saturday. The Anfield-based outfit find themselves just above Tottenham Hotspur, who are in fourth place with a two-point gap separating the two teams at the moment.
However, Jurgen Klopp’s side are a staggering 15 points behind league leaders Manchester City. The addition of someone of the calibre of Max Meyer will undoubtedly bolster Klopp’s midfield and could help plug the hole left by the departure of Phillipe Coutinho in January. Only time will tell whether Meyer can help Liverpool bridge the gap between themselves and the Manchester clubs in the coming years.
It remains to be seen what lies ahead in the future of the German international and whether he ends up making a move to Anfield in the near future.
