OPINION
Tottenham Hotspur face a crucial summer transfer window as they head into their new stadium next season, and there is one available star that would be perfect for the club.
As reported by the Daily Star, Schalke 04 midfielder Max Meyer is being hunted by several of Europe’s top clubs as his contract draws to a close at the end of the campaign.
Among those reportedly battling for the 22-year-old Germany international are Tottenham’s Premier League rivals Arsenal and Liverpool, with Euro giants Bayern Munich and AC Milan also in the hunt.
It is said that club’s hopes of securing Meyer’s signature this summer were boosted by Schalke CEO Christian Heidel’s comments last month.
As quoted by the Star, Heidel said: “Max will be deciding shortly if he wants to stay at Schalke past the summer. Max is very happy here, Schalke is his home, we will try to make it him as comfortable financially as possible.”
Heidel’s comments, while insisting that Meyer is happy in Gelsenkirchen, do suggest that the playmaker may look for a lucrative deal elsewhere, and Spurs must be quick to offer him a deal in north London.
Let’s not forget that this is a player with whom Spurs are familiar, with football.london reporting in December that Tottenham were keeping a close eye on the 22-year-old.
Mauricio Pochettino must join the chase for Meyer this summer, as he would be the perfect addition to an ever-strengthening Tottenham squad that need to win some silverware soon.
The midfielder spent most of his early career as an attacker, roaming the lines between the midfield and forward lines, looking for that killer pass.
However, in the last season or so, Meyer has been transformed into a more deep-lying midfielder, controlling games with his extensive passing range and vision.
His relatively slight 5ft 8in frame led many to believe that Meyer would be unable to adapt to such a role, but the 22-year-old has proved all naysayers wrong this season.
Schalke currently sit in sixth in the Bundesliga, just three points behind third-placed Borussia Dortmund and four behind second-placed RB Leipzig.
Meyer has dominated the midfield for his side in countless games, and has shown brilliant maturity to transform his game so seamlessly.
And his new-found versatility would be a massive asset to Spurs, who are in need of reinforcements in both defensive and attacking midfield.
The brilliant Mousa Dembele and Eric Dier are clear first-choices in the deep-lying roles, but even Dembele has struggled at times with injury this season.
Behind those two, Victor Wanyama is also struggling to find form after injury, as is Harry Winks, and Moussa Sissoko has just disappointed.
Further forward, Christian Eriksen has no clear back-up in attacking midfield, and Meyer would be able to strengthen the squad in both areas.
With the 22-year-old available on a free transfer in the summer, this is a no-brainer for Spurs.