Is Signing This 21-Year-Old German Superstar A Smart Move Or A Risk?

Premier League title contenders Tottenham Hotspur are lining up a £30million summer move for Germany starlet Max Meyer according to reports. The Schalke midfielder was the subject of a failed approach by the Lilywhites in the summer of 2016, but Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino is intent on bringing the midfielder to White Hart Lane in the upcoming summer and believes a deal could be struck, considering the fact that Meyer will be entering the last year of his contract after this season.

The player himself claimed in November last year, that there had been talks between Schalke and Spurs and expressed his desire to play in England in the future. He said:

“I know that there was interest and the club was asked, but Schalke immediately put a stop to it. So, the matter was settled.”

“If I left Schalke and was going to play football in any other league in Europe I would like to move to England.”

Meyer joined the Schalke academy back in 2009-10 as a 14-year old and came through the ranks with some quality displays before breaking into the first team in February 2013. He became a full-time senior team member ahead of the 2013-14 season and has ever since grown into a fine young prospect for the Gelsenkirchen-based outfit and Germany.

After a successful first full season with Schalke, where he finished with 7 goals and 5 assists across all competitions, Meyer was soon rewarded with an international cap by Germany national team manager Joachim Low in May 2014, but since then, the 21-year old has gone on to appear only three more times for Die Mannschaft and has scored one goal.

Meyer impressed again in the 2014-15 campaign with 6 goals and 2 assists, but took his creative play to another level the subsequent season, establishing himself as the fulcrum of the Schalke attack. The 2015-16 season was his best season for Schalke scoring 6 goals and setting up a further 10 strikes for his teammates across all competitions.

His performances were rewarded with the captaincy of the Germany National Olympics Team for the 2016 Olympics held in Brazil and Meyer excelled again hitting the back of the net four times and chalking up three assists as he led his team from the front to a silver-medal finish.

However, post his return from Brazil, Meyer has struggled to find his touch for Schalke and has netted just one goal in his 22 appearances across all competitions, along with four assists. The versatile attacking midfielder could very well be struggling due to the lack of a break between seasons and as a result, his performances haven’t been up to the mark this term.

Despite his recent dip in form, Meyer remains one of the most promising attackers in Germany. Primarily a central attacking midfielder, the 21-year old is comfortable on either flank and can also operate in a deeper midfield role if needed. An excellent passer of the ball, Meyer has found his intended target 86% of the times this season in the Bundesliga from his 400 attempted passes. He also is blessed with a decent turn of pace and can dribble his way through the defence with ease.

However, given his small physical stature, he can be at times bullied off by the ball and tends to struggle for the ball in the air. His end product from the wide areas is also not up to the mark and is something that needs to be worked upon tremendously while the lack of a contribution in the defensive half also seems to be a chink in his armour.

While there is no doubt about the exciting potential that Meyer possesses in abundance, a lot of work is to be done if he is to succeed, especially in England. Mauricio Pochettino has shown his eagerness to bring in young and talented players and work with them and while Meyer could prove to be a shrewd addition given his attacking flair and verve.

But Tottenham have been hurt in the past when they brought in an attacking midfielder from Schalke. Lewis Holtby, who was signed by Spurs in January 2013, was very similar to Meyer in almost all aspects, be it physically or the way they played their game. However, the German struggled to find his feet in England and returned to Germany a year and a half later.

Given his recent dip and questions over his suitability to the English football, a fee in the range of £30 million may not be the most prudent investment from Tottenham and instead the same funds could be utilized in someone like a Ross Barkley, who is in the similar age group to that of Meyer, plays in a similar position and has abundance of top-flight experience in England.