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Tottenham Don’t Need Max Meyer — At Any Cost

By Ryan Wrenn

GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 22: Max Meyer of Schalke runs with the ball during the UEFA Europa League Round of 32 second leg match between FC Schalke 04 and PAOK Saloniki at Veltins-Arena on February 22, 2017 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. (Photo by Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty Images)
GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 22: Max Meyer of Schalke runs with the ball during the UEFA Europa League Round of 32 second leg match between FC Schalke 04 and PAOK Saloniki at Veltins-Arena on February 22, 2017 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. (Photo by Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty Images) /
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With news of Wilfried Zaha, Ross Barkley and Isco seemingly dried up, Tottenham are now once again being linked with Schalke youngster Max Meyer.

“Youngster” is a relative term, of course. The German international is 21-years-old, a little less than seven months older than Tottenham regular Dele Alli.

And it would be Dele who Max Meyer would be in direct competition if the latest rumors are true.

ESPN passes on a story gleamed from an interview Meyer had with German publication Bild. In that interview Meyer claims that his talks with Schalke have stalled, with the clear implication being that he is ready for a move in the summer.

With Tottenham reportedly having lodged a sizable bid late in the 2016 transfer window, they appear to be the club most likely to exploit Meyer’s contract situation.

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With Meyer’s deal up in 2018, Schalke would have every incentive otherwise to cash in on their promising youth product. Tottenham could see a much lower bid than the one they tabled last season accepted.

As it happens they might also have a sizable advantage in the form of on-loan midfielder Nabil Bentaleb. The Algerian has proved to be something of a star for the Bundesliga side this season, and it’s conceivable that his permanent transfer might serve as a makeweight in a deal for Meyer.

All of which ignores the most important question: where exactly would Meyer fit at Tottenham?

Dele is firmly lodged in the number 10 role behind Harry Kane. Christain Eriksen rounds out that attacking trio perfectly. If Mauricio Pochettino needs a fourth attacking midfielder, he could choose from Érik Lamela (when fit) and Heung-min Son, among others.

None of which even takes into consideration those players from the Academy waiting in the wings. Pochettino wouldn’t favorably compare 18-year-old Marcus Edwards to Lionel Messi if he didn’t have some future envisioned for the young Englishman.

Meyer’s arrival would either mean the sale of a big name, or a potentially chaotic selection headache for Pochettino.

Sure, you could say that Spurs clearly have a need for rotation options in the Champions League. Paying what still amounts to a sizable sum for a player who Spurs would in effect be asking to play less than he does currently still doesn’t appear to be the solution.

It also seems awfully similar to a set of policies last summer that did not work out well for Tottenham. In seeking depth for their Champions League run, the club brought in Victory Wanyama, Vincent Janssen, Moussa Sissoko and Georges-Kévin Nkoudou. To date only Wanyama has thrived, with the rest already subject to summer exit rumors.

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Why would Pochettino be willing to part with a big chunk of the transfer budget afforded to him by Daniel Levy on a player like Meyer? The German is certainly promising but, as ESPN notes, he rarely finishes matches. A player without the stamina to play 90 minutes won’t last long at Pochettino’s high energy Spurs side.

None of which will stop the rumor mill from carrying on however.