Hoffenheim wanted to nab Schalke starlet Max Meyer from under Tottenham Hotspur’s nose.
Losing one of their long-standing transfer targets to a club from a village with a population of just over 3,000 wouldn’t look good for Tottenham Hotspur.
Fortunately, however, Bild claim that Bundesliga high-flyers Hoffenheim are unwilling to pay more than £13 million to sign Max Meyer this summer. The German newspaper reports that the Gelsenkirchen giants want at least £17 million for their prized asset.
Meyer, a stocky and subtle central midfielder likened in some quarters to Andres Iniesta, has just a year remaining on his contract at Schalke. And despite rising through their famed youth academy, he has made clear that he has no intention of signing a new deal.
Max Meyer’s future is up in the air
Now, on paper, swapping Schalke for Hoffenheim looks like a backwards step. Until you consider that Hoffenheim finished six places higher than their illustrious rivals in the Bundesliga table last season, qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in their history.
And the village club, coached by 29-year-old sensation Julian Nagelsmann, have long been seen as a ‘stepping stone’, providing a platform for players to earn a big-money move up the footballing ladder.
Mad Max
Therefore, Meyer could follow in the footsteps of Roberto Firmino, Sebastian Rudy and Demba Ba by enhancing his reputation with the Sinsheim-based club. Furthermore, he would surely get more game time than at Tottenham Hotspur, where Mauricio Pochettino is hardly short of quality midfield options.
Yet, with Schalke unlikely to budge on their asking price, and The Sun claiming that Spurs have scouts attending the European Under-21 Championship in Poland to watch Meyer in action, it appears that a move to White Hart Lane is far more likely.
Especially given that Spurs were quoted £38 million for Meyer last summer – and could now sign him for more than half that.
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