Tottenham Hotspur have been watching the Bundesliga starlet Max Meyer for some time and now he is set to leave Schalke.
When you think of Max Meyer, the 5ft 6ins German international midfielder, your mind’s eye might conjure up a diminutive and skilful play-maker, carving open defences with a well-placed through ball or skipping past lunging challenges from opposition ankle-snappers.
Few, however, thought of Meyer as a hard-working and tenacious defensive midfielder. Schalke’s revolutionary coach Domenico Tedesco did, and the 22-year-old has been reborn at the Veltins Arena this season in a role no one expected that he would make his own.
So maybe long-standing suitors Tottenham Hotspur do not see Meyer as a potential addition to Christian Eriksen, Heung-min Son, Erik Lamela and co. Maybe he is the Mousa Dembele replacement they have been looking for.
Belgian midfielder Dembele may be as influential as ever, arguably in the form of his life right now, but he will be 32 by the time his contract expires at the end of next summer. And Mauricio Pochettino has been looking at midfielders who could take his place.
The pocket-sized Meyer, however, certainly breaks the mould.
Tottenham have been chasing Meyer for ages, Bild claiming that they made a bid of £38 million on transfer deadline day in the summer of 2016. But, after he rejected a new deal at Schalke, he will be leaving soon on a free and Mundo Deportivo claim Spurs and Atletico Madrid scouted him in the weekend’s 1-0 win against Hertha Berlin.
Meyer, once compared to Andres Iniesta, has no goals or assists this season but boasts a brilliant 89 per cent pass accuracy while developing the defensive side of his game beyond recognition. Meyer averages 1.9 tackles and 2.6 interceptions per game these days.
If Tottenham still want Meyer, maybe they have a different role in mind than initially thought.
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