Max Meyer: Tottenham still keen on Schalke talent
German magazine SportBild have an interesting article this week on the future of Max Meyer, and it involves Tottenham Hotspur.
SportBild state ‘Schalke want to extend with the national team player. But Tottenham keep him in sight’, before going on to claim Spurs tried to tempt the player three days before the summer window closed.
Mauricio Pochettino’s claimed summer attempts didn’t work. Then, on deadline day, Moussa Sissoko joined Tottenham from Newcastle United. It’s conceivable Pochettino considered Meyer, who can play through the middle or on the left, before Sissoko.
A little digging shows that on August 30th, German newspaper Bild reported Tottenham could be set to make a €45m swoop for Meyer. A day later, the same newspaper reported that the deal was already dead because Tottenham had failed to present an ‘official’ offer, and Schalke were against selling because it was so late in the window.
In November SportBild interviewed Meyer and asked him: ‘As a national team player you are in great demand. Is it true that Tottenham wanted you in summer?’
Meyer replied: “I know that interest was there and the club was asked. But Schalke immediately put a stop to it. So the matter was settled. Of course, I have dealt with it. But I also know what I have at Schalke, and I like to play for this club.”
Meyer has a contract with Schalke until June 2018 and the German club would like to extend it so they can fight off Tottenham and others. The Bundesliga club have opened talks with the 21 year old’s representative Thorsten Weck about a renewal, but SportBild say if agreement isn’t found by the summer then Schalke ‘will probably sell him’.
Draxler would be worth up to €40m next summer, believe SportBild, but after that his value would drop through the floor as a free transfer appeared on the horizon.
Tottenham would surely believe they could sign Max Meyer for less next summer with no renewal, if Pochettino still wants the player. Daniel Levy would be in a position he’d no doubt enjoy: One of Germany’s top young talents, refusing to renew, with less than a year of contract left.
Perhaps much will depend on the form of Sissoko and others, but this one seems to have a little more to it than most transfer rumours.
Pochettino would have to convince Meyer he’d be a used player, with SportBild pointing out the youngster wants to be in strong Germany national team contention for the 2018 World Cup.
