According to reports, Stoke City and Newcastle United scouts were spotted watching Hertha Berlin’s game against Borussia Dortmund last week. Stoke City manager Paul Lambert is apparently interested in Berlin forward Davie Selke, as he plans to reinforce the offensive department within the remaining days of the January transfer window.
Lambert, a former Borussia Dortmund player himself, had been to quite a lot of Bundesliga matches this season, prior to his appointment earlier this month. The Scot seems to have harvested quite an interest in the Bundesliga, having already secured the services of Augsburg defender Konstantinos Stafylidis.
Davie Selke, on the other hand, is one of the most popular young strikers in Germany. The former Werder Bremen forward has built a reputation, thanks to his blistering performances in the youth leagues as well as the German national youth teams.
Davie Selke – fact file
Following a string of impressive performances in the lower leagues, Selke made his breakthrough in the Bundesliga in the 2014/15 season, where he was a key man for Bremen in the offensive department, scoring nine goals. His remarkable efforts earned him a move to second division Leipzig for a record fee of €7.20m, making him the most expensive second division player ever.
However, frequent injuries marred his stint at Leipzig and he eventually moved to Hertha Berlin at the start of this season. At Hertha, the German sensation has somewhat managed to redeem himself, despite his fair share of injury troubles, scoring five goals in just 12 appearances this season.
The 23-year-old has emerged as a key component in Hertha’s lethal strikeforce. Regarded as the long-term successor of talismanic veteran striker Vedad Ibisevic, Selke is definitely held in high esteem at Berlin.
Blessed with raw pace and athleticism, Selke can be deemed as a replica of former teammate Timo Werner. Although he might not boast the same goal-scoring prowess as the Leipzig frontman, Selke is definitely ideal for a team like Stoke City. Not only does he have the talent to evolve as a top class striker but also the quality to make an instant impact at Stoke City.
However, that is not to say, Selke is a world-class talent with loads of potential. He has struggled to make a difference in big teams while failing to cope with the pacy nature of football. Furthermore, it’s also doubtful whether or not will he leave Berlin in the first place, considering the fact that he is definitely a part of the club’s long-term future.