Roger Wittmann has good connections with Liverpool, that goes without saying.
The ROGON representative built a deal for Firmino to move to Anfield, with the Brazilian recently renewing, and also represents Loris Karius.
Bild point this out as they look at where Max Meyer could move when he leaves Schalke in the summer window. With relations completely torn, the player suspended, and Meyer’s contract ending in June, a transfer looks very likely.
Wittmann’s connections could lead to a Liverpool or Marseille move, or even a switch to Italy. There’s no claims of talks being held but it goes by assumption that the agent will surely at least speak to Jurgen Klopp about the situation.
Bild suggest there may not be any real transfer interest in Meyer right now, which is the absolute opposite of what they normally do and shows an example of how the player has been reported on this season.
Meyer is only 22 years of age but earlier this season he was one of Schalke’s players routinely hammered in the German media. It appeared all too clear that a steady stream of leaks were coming from the Bundesliga club, and those leaks looked planned to take the heat off Christian Heidel and Markus Weinzierl.
Heidel, in a general manager role (a bit like a sporting director), and Weinzerl were supposed to be the dream team. But it went very wrong, and the leaks began.
Several players, including Leon Goretzka, himself only 22 years of age at the time, and Meyer were dubbed ‘Schalke Slackers’ and had their attitudes openly questioned in the German media. What appeared to be leaks from the club started to look like an almost desperate attempt to discredit players and shift blame.
A great rebound from the club sees them in second place, but it can’t be any surprise some players have suffered, and Goretzka and Meyer looked to leave the club on free transfers. Bayern Munich swooped in for Goretzka, and Meyer isn’t quite as wanted.
The player recently became fed up of the situation and spoke openly about feeling bullied at Schalke. He said he’d been told he wouldn’t play because he wasn’t renewing his contract and became sick of reading things about himself in the German media. It had been a difficult two years at Schalke and under Heidel, and the youngster wanted to get his side out there.
Looking from the outside in, and without the pressure of having to be nice to information providers at a German club, this doesn’t look pretty for Schalke. Whilst Meyer may have some fault, it seems absurd to pretend everything is down to the player and everything he’s said about pressure, the club pushing a PR agenda, and bullying is incorrect.
There’s a reason players like Goretzka and Meyer are leaving on free transfers, and there were more last summer, and it doesn’t exactly paint Schalke as a club which looks after players, protects them and makes them feel wanted.
Meyer has represented Germany extensively at youth level, he’s played for the Olympic team and has a handful of senior caps. The versatile midfielder could be a good signing for a club, Liverpool included, but whoever signs him may have to rebuild his confidence.
So for all the down-talking of Meyer by some in Germany, perhaps with not the purest motives, Klopp may give this one some consideration when Wittmann comes calling.
Arsenal are also linked by Bild on Friday, but it’s presented by Bild as speculation.
