Bayern Munich have identified Schalke starlet Matthew Hoppe as a long-term successor to Robert Lewandowski with Liverpool and Tottenham facing competition from the Bundesliga leaders, as reported by ESPN.
As Jann-Fiete Arp will tell you, it’s no fun being stuck behind the most prolific number nine in world football.
The 21-year-old was one of the hottest prospects in German football when he swapped Hamburg for Bayern in 2019. Two years on, Arp still awaits his Bundesliga debut under Hansi Flick, his one and only first-team appearance for the Bavarian giants coming in the DFB Pokal.
Arp’s struggles, then, act as a cautionary tale for Hoppe with the American sensation emerging as an £18 million target for the reigning European champions.
Lewandowski may be better than ever at the age of 32 but, according to ESPN, the Pole’s remarkable longevity hasn’t stopped Bayern Munich from preparing for life without a man who has shattered the 40-goal barrier in each of the past six seasons.
Bayern apparently view Hoppe as a more affordable alternative to his Gelsenkirchen neighbour – Borussia Dortmund talisman Erling Haaland – and plan to open talks with Schalke’s inevitable relegation only weeks away.
ESPN adds Hoppe, a clinical and intelligent finisher who shot to fame with a January hat-trick against Hoffenheim – Schalke’s only win in their past 42 league matches – is also on the radar of Liverpool and Tottenham.
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