A season which started with much promise has turned out to be a slugfest for a top four finish for Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool. Behind the scenes, work has already started at Anfield with the club working hard in identifying targets to lure in the summer. One such target for the Reds is Schalke’s Max Meyer who has been admired for a long time by the Liverpool manager.
Meyer is a product of Schalke’s Knappenschmiede youth setup and is regarded as one of the brightest prospects to emerge from the German side. He captained the German Olympics team last year but has fallen out of favour this season under manager Markus Weinzierl which has resulted in just 14 appearances for the 21-year old. Meyer recently told a radio channel that his future at Schalke is “50/50” at the moment which sparked rumours of his move to Liverpool. Along with the Reds, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton have been previously linked with Meyer.
Liverpool have been linked with a number of attackers in the summer with a paper-thin squad being a problem for them at times this season. Philippe Coutinho has been courted by FC Barcelona intensively which has increased fears of the Brazilian’s exit after the current campaign. If Coutinho does leave for greener pastures, a playmaker would be the need of the hour for Liverpool.
This is where Max Meyer would fit in perfectly at Anfield. The 21-year old is a creative playmaker who is endowed with supreme technique. He is often considered as one of the best creative players in the Bundesliga though his current form has not been up to the mark. The German can play with both his feet and is brilliant with his dribbling skills. He is good in crowded spaces with his vision being the reason for many of Schalke’s wins with him in the side.
Meyer has often been compared with Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil with both the players having the same weakness – shooting the ball into the back of the net. But the Schalke youngster has time on his side as his shooting abilities have improved in recent times. His growth can be compared to Coutinho who arrived from Inter Milan in 2012 and had an issue with his wayward finishing.
During his time with Dortmund, Jürgen Klopp once praised the then 18-year old Meyer when he said, “He would be a starter and captain at 90% of national teams.”
Although the youngster has a lot of areas to improve on, there is no denying the fact that he is a world class talent who can grow immensely under Klopp. If Coutinho does leave for Barcelona in the summer, Meyer would be a perfect replacement for him and can form a solid partnership with the likes of Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane with his creativity and dribbling prowess.
