Can the 'German Messi' Max Meyer prove his worth at Crystal Palace?
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The former wonderkid was once the brightest talent in the Bundesliga and 22-year-old will have the chance to prove doubters wrong at Crystal Palace
The little 5'8" (1.7m) kid had the world at his feet. He made his debut as a 17-year-old, proving that despite his height, he had all the ball skills to prove himself in a man's game. A product of the club's academy, he was seen as a future superstar for title contenders, someone who could become world class and help them compete with the best teams in Europe.
In his first season after that debut, he played less than 10 league games, but had shown enough promise and enough talent to earn a more regular spot the following season. Here was a gifted playmaker, someone who could see the action before it happened, capable of taking an eternity on the ball before picking out a team-mate with a perfectly placed pass. In his second campaign, his first full season with the senior side, he finished with six league goals and even became a regular in the Champions League. All this before he was even old enough to drink.
This is the story of Lionel Messi. But also the story of Max Meyer, Schalke's great hope, who was handed the number 7 jersey previously occupied by Raul when he was just 18. Born eight years after his idol, Meyer admitted in 2013 that he could follow Messi's example on and off the field as pundits started to compare the short tricky attacking midfielder to the Argentine sensation.
“He is my role model. I can learn a lot from him," Meyer said. "He is the best player in the world and always remains humble.”
While Messi often shunned the limelight and played down discussions of being the best in the world and even the greatest of all time, Meyer embraced his status as Germany's wonderkid. After helping Schalke qualify for the Champions League group stage in 2013-14, Meyer's brief contribution to set up Julian Draxler in the play-off victory over PAOK was given the title "€20 million pass" by German media.
Even after turning 18, Meyer continued to live with his parents, claiming he was happy there and did not yet need to find his own apartment due to the fact his parents handled the aspects of his life he had no time for.
"I'm happy here because my parents take care of everything for me," Meyer told Der Westen. "I never tidy my room and my mother moans about it all the time, but she's got to come to terms with it if she wants me to stay at home."
Having played as an attacking midfielder for Schalke in his first few seasons at the club, he found himself often watching from the bench and rarely playing full games in 2016-17. New coach Domenico Tedesco arrived in June 2017 and was immediately impressed with Meyer's workrate in training. However, with Leon Goretzka, Amine Harit and a host of other options ahead of him in a more attacking role, the young coach could not accommodate Meyer in his preferred No. 10 role.
Like his predecessors, Tedesco used Meyer sparingly, even trying him as a false nine against Stuttgart in the third game of the season, only to remove him at half-time with the score level at 1-1. Schalke went on to win the game 3-1 and Meyer returned to the bench for the next two games, not even making a brief cameo as he had in the opening day win over RB Leipzig where he was an 89th minute substitute. Meyer was determined to force himself into the side was looked to prove himself in training, a method which paid dividends as Tedesco looked to find a way to fit the 22-year-old into his XI.
“When the reaction is like Max's, you think as a coach and say to yourself, 'Man, I have to reward him,’” Tedesco told reporters. “‘It can’t be that he runs four or five miles in training and then misses the games.’ Then, as a coach, you’re forced to be creative.”
Tedesco's creativity saw Meyer reborn as a defensive midfielder. Here, he was able to use his fantastic ability to read the game to create attacks for Schalke by picking out team-mates in good positions while unlocking opposition defences with pinpoint passing accuracy. Of the midfielders who attempted over 1000 passes last season, only Bayern Munich's Thiago, Corentin Tolisso and James Rodriguez had better passing accuracy scores than Meyer's 89 per cent completion rate.
Meyer was reborn under Tedesco, with the Schalke coach claiming, "I don't believe he's ever played as well as he currently is" when discussing how big of a loss it would be were the midfielder not to sign a new deal at the club. As a product of their academy, Schalke wanted Meyer to extend his stay at the Veltins Arena, but saw director of sport Christian Heidel come to blows with agent Roger Wittman, who was angry that they would not pay his client what he was worth.
"After the talks with Max Meyer, I got into contact with Roger Wittmann," Heidel said on Sky90. "Wittmann said 'Christian, we first must determine if we’re talking about the same player.' I said, 'What does that mean?' This is what Roger Wittmann told me: 'I’m talking about the world-class player Max Meyer, who would start in every European squad. And he should be going to the World Cup in Russia. If we’re talking about the same player, you can send me an offer. If we’re talking about different players, don’t send me an offer.'
"I was of a different opinion, when I saw the performances of Max Meyer, I sent the offer nevertheless. But not for the world-class player Max Meyer, rather a very very good Bundesliga player Max Meyer, who has quite a lot of potential and can still get better."
Both player and agent were unhappy with the offer for 'very, very good Bundesliga player Max Meyer' and the midfielder decided to test the market by announcing his decision to leave Schalke at the end of his contract on June 30. Former team-mate Goretzka agreed a deal with Bayern Munich in January, joining the Bundesliga champions on July 1, but Meyer took over four weeks to find a club after his contract expired, with many teams not prepared to pay his wage demands until Crystal Palace finally decided they believed he was worth the amount he was asking.
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Meyer denied the reason he left Schalke was for money, telling Bild: "I simply did not want to stay with Schalke and work under Heidel. It's all about this. It just feels like bullying to me." However, despite being linked with numerous clubs during the transfer window, Meyer's wage demands remained a stumbling block. Despite not having to pay a transfer fee for him, clubs were put off by Meyer's desire for a wage of around £77,000 a week ($100k), with Arsenal and Liverpool not willing to pay that much for the midfielder.
Those bigger clubs, as well as Atletico Madrid and AC Milan, rejected his advances, with Hoffenheim then forced to issue a denial before Crystal Palace announced his signing as the new 'Meyer of London' on Thursday.
Now that Meyer has finally found a suitor, football fans can finally see if he is worth the money. He was once the German Messi, but after a four-week ordeal, his parents might finally be free of his messy bedroom as he leaves for London.
Max Meyer has joined last year's relegation battlers Crystal Palace and talkSPORT.com looks at the other deals that blew people's minds. Remember when Mo Johnston stunned an entire city?
Crystal Palace signed Max Meyer *inserts shocked emoji face* and repeat for Rob Green at Chelsea.
You could probably include Lee Grant at Man United on here, too.
Not that you can blame Meyer, who is reportedly on a whopping £170,000-a-week.
Still, they are moves which blew a lot of minds, so here, talkSPORT.com looks at other bizarre transfers and career moves of players and managers throughout history.
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18 Even Caulker, who was on loan at Southampton from QPR, was surprised by the move. “It came as a bit of a shock as I’d had a bit of a frustrating time at Southampton and not had any game time,” he told the Liverpool Echo, explaining he couldn’t turn the move down. The defender joined in the 2016 January transfer window as cover, but played just four games with the deal being cut short when he entered rehab following a string of off field problems. In an interview with the Guardian in June 2017, Caulker revealed he has battled with depression for most of his career.
18 17. Ruud Gullit joins Chelsea, who were mediocre at best – In 1995 the Blues picked up the bargain of the summer as they landed Dutch hero Gullit, a two-time European Cup winner and recipient of the European Footballer of the Year award. Chelsea were nowhere near the glamourous side of today and after Gullit struggled to get going in a sweeper role, Glenn Hoddle moved him into midfield and he was soon flying. Before his arrival, signings included Scott Minto and Paul Furlong, but by the end of the decade it was the likes of Marcel Desailly and Gianfranco Zola joining.
18 16. Diego Maradona moves to lowly Napoli – In the 1980s there were not many better players than Diego Maradona, so it was quite a surprise when Napoli, a team who avoided relegation from Serie A by a point, signed him from Barcelona in 1984. His time in Spain had been short, but memorable as it was littered with genius, controversy and injury. He scored 45 goals in 73 games, won the 1983 Spanish Cup and his brilliance was acknowledged by Real Madrid fans at the Bernabeu during one game. However, his stay ended on a sour note when he was involved in a mass brawl with Athletic Bilbao players in the 1984 Spanish Cup final. In Italy, though, he helped win the club’s only two league titles, while he also won the UEFA Cup and Italian Cup.
18 15. Champions League winner Fabrizio Ravanelli swaps Juve for Boro – Ravanelli won the Champions League in May 1996, scoring in the final as Juventus beat Ajax on penalties. By July he was playing for Middlesbrough, a club that had won promotion to the top flight a year earlier. During his one full Premier League season, Ravanelli scored 31 goals in all competitions and helped Bryan Robson’s side to the finals of the FA Cup and League Cup. Sadly though, Boro were relegated and lost both finals and he moved on to Marseille. PICTURES: Ravanelli as you've never see him.
18 14. Roberto Mancini at Leicester City – Thirteen years before Leicester pulled off their Esteban Cambiasso coup, the club shocked everyone when they managed to sign Roberto Mancini from Lazio on a month’s loan in January. Before that he spent 15 years at Sampdoria and won the title, four Italian Cups and the Cup Winners Cup. When he won the competition again, this time with Lazio, in 1999 he counted Alessandro Nesta, Pavel Nedved and Christian Vieri as team-mates. Colleagues at Filbert Street, meanwhile, included Andy Impey, Steve Guppy and Ade Akinbiyi. Mancini left in February to become boss at Fiorentina.
18 13. Attilio Lombardo flies into south London – Lombardo played in a very good Sampdoria team, winning the title in 1991 and finishing runners-up to Barcelona in the 1992 European Cup final. However, after struggling to find his feet at Juventus, Lombardo flew the nest to join Palace in 1997. Soon, his talents saw him crowned the Bald Eagle as he lit up Selhurst Park before becoming player-manager.
18 12. Ballon d’Or winner Kevin Keegan moves to Southampton – Keegan left Liverpool for German club Hamburg in 1977, and during his three seasons in the Bundesliga he won two European Footballer of the Year awards and appeared in the 1980 European Cup final. He could have had his pick of clubs, but the likes of Juventus and Barcelona were snubbed in favour of Lawrie McMenemy’s Southampton, who had been promoted to the First Division in 1978. It was a great piece of business from the Saints.
18 11. Bebe arrives at Manchester United – Who? That’s what most people said when the Red Devils announced a deal for unknown Portugal winger Bebe in 2010. He’d never even played for his previous club when Sir Alex Ferguson swooped, persuaded by Carlos Queiroz, and in the end he made just four Premier League appearances before leaving Old Trafford in 2014.
18 10. Brian Clough takes over at the club he hates – Clough didn’t hide his contempt for Leeds’ style under Don Revie, so it was a shock when he took the manager’s job at Elland Road in 1974 after his spell at Brighton and Derby. Despite his criticism of Leeds, the move was a no-brainer for Clough given they were league champions, but his stint only lasted 44 days before he was sacked.
18 9. Ron Saunders leaves Aston Villa right before European glory for rivals Birmingham! – Villa were on course to win the European Cup when Saunders left in February 1982 to take over at rivals Birmingham. During his time at the helm, Saunders won two League Cups and is also the man who guided Villa to their first league title in 71 years when the club became First Division champions in 1981. It was a glorious period for the club, but disagreements with the board saw him resign and leave Tony Barton to lead the club to victory in the European Cup final. Birmingham, meanwhile, were relegated two years later.
18 8. Claudio Caniggia at Dundee – A number of jaws dropped when Dundee manager Ivano Bonetti brought international Caniggia to the club in 2000. After all, here was a man who had shared the pitch with Diego Maradona at the 1990 World Cup and the 33-year-old had his eyes on winning a place in the squad for the 2002 edition in Japan and Korea. In his debut against Aberdeen, Caniggia came off the bench to score in a 2-0 win at Pittodrie and later moved to Rangers.
18 7. Edgar Davids joins Barnet – It was surprising enough when Davids, a former Inter, Ajax and Juventus midfielder, came out of retirement after two years to play for Crystal Palace in 2010. That lasted for seven games. Then it emerged he was managing Sunday League club Brixton United before, at the age of 37, he became head coach of League Two club Barnet in 2012. He also played for the club but resigned in 2014.
18 6. Tommy Lawton at Notts County – County have been involved in their share of bizarre deals in recent years – Eriksson and Campbell etc – but this takes some beating. Lawton was a goal king, who had scored 22 times in 23 England appearances along with 34 goals in 38 games for Everton, as they won the First Division title in 1939 before he moved to Chelsea in 1945. There he scored 35 times in 53 games, but moved to Notts County in the Third Division South next. The club paid £20,000 in November 1947 for the 28-year-old Lawton 28 who dropped down two divisions to link up with his friend and manager Arthur Stollery.
18 5. When Allan Simonsen swapped Barca for Charlton! – Simonsen was the European Player of the Year in 1977, a year he played and scored for Borussia Monchengladbach in the European Cup final defeat to Liverpool. He won the UEFA Cup with the German club in 1975 and 1979, and then sealed a move to the glamorous Barcelona. After winning the Cup Winners Cup there he swapped the Camp Nou for the Valley and joined Second Division Charlton for £300,000 in 1982. It was a disaster for the Londoners, who struggled to pay their star player and after nine goals in 17 games he headed back to his native Denmark while Charlton teetered on the brink of financial collapse.
18 4. Thomas Gravesen the Galactico? – Gravesen was a tough midfielder who found favour at Everton under the management of David Moyes. Madrid, meanwhile, perhaps mindful of the mistake they made in selling unsung defensive midfielder Claude Makelele to Chelsea while stockpiling 'Galacticos', signed Gravesen in 2005. The Bernabeu crowd, used to watching Zidane, Figo and Ronaldo, weren't particularly impressed with the Danish hard nut's style of play, and he was nearly sold before Christmas and after he got stuck in to team-mate Robinho during a training session, the writing was on the wall. Gravesen was sold to Celtic in 2006 and wasn’t much better. For bizarre Real deals, see also Julien Faubert.
18 3. Dale Jennings: Tranmere to Bayern – Having lit up League One when he broke into the Tranmere first team in the 2010/11 season, tricky winger Jennings signed for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich at the age of 18. They club even sent Dietmar Hamann to his house to persuade him to join; the former Liverpool player having recommended him. Jennings knew he’d find it tough to break into the first-team, and was placed with Bayern's second string, but injuries right from the start saw his progress stutter. “I had a year left on my contract and I had to think 'am I really going to get in this team?' Once my girlfriend was pregnant I knew it was time to come back," he later said. Jennings played for Barnsley and MK Dons on his return but the 24-year-old is now without a club.
18 2. Juventus swoop for Boro reject Ronnie O’Brien – Forget Bendtner at Juve. Having played alongside the likes of Damien Duff and Robbie Keane for Republic of Ireland’s youth teams, O’Brien seemed set for a decent future, but he was released by Middlesbrough in 1999 at the age of 20. No bother for the Irishman, though, as Serie A giants Juventus swooped. Sadly, despite being on their books for three years, he rarely played with the exception of three Intertoto Cup matches. O'Brien was sent out on four loan spells before being released in 2002. He moved to America afterwards and last played for San Jose Earthquakes in 2008.
Crystal Palace have confirmed the signing of German international Max Meyer but have run into issues in securing Swansea's versatile attacker Jordan Ayew.
The Ghanaian is expected to leave the Swans in the wake of their relegation to the Championship, with new coach Graham Potter keen to focus on young and hungry players rather than relegated holdovers who don't want to be at the club.
Ayew has attracted interest from Newcastle and Fulham, with the latter having a bid rejected for the player earlier this off-season. But Palace appeared to have stolen a march on their rivals by offering the talented young utility man Jairo Riedewald in exchange.
A deal was agreed in principle with Ayew but Riedewald, who joined Palace from Ajax for around £7m last summer, was reluctant to take the step down into the Championship.
Dougie Freedman, the Eagles' sporting director, is already looking into other possibilities and earlier in the summer had considered Danny Ings and Michail Antonio for the same role.
Palace insisted on Friday that nothing had changed in their position on Wilfried Zaha after a report in the Daily Mirror claimed that the Ivorian international had told teammates he wished to join Chelsea. The 25-year-old winger, who had another outstanding season last year in guiding Palace to safety, has been repeatedly linked with a move away from south London this summer but recently told the club that he has no intention of going. Tottenham, who had a derisory bid of £15m rejected for Zaha two years ago, are not understood to still be pursuing the twinkle-toed forward.
Roy Hodgson told talkSPORT that he had spoken to Zaha on Thursday and there was no indication that the player was angling for a move away.
"I spoke to Wilf yesterday and he certainly gave me no indication that he wanted to quit the club. In fact, we were talking about how good the new signings were and how they would help us."
Those new signings are Cheikou Kouyate , who will add some steel to the Eagles' midfield alongside Luka Milivojevic, and Meyer, who arrives as something of a coup on a free transfer after leaving Schalke.
"I feel really good and I'm happy to be here," said Meyer. "I can't wait to start training with the team and I hope I'll have a good season.
"I'm proud to be here and I hope I can make the next step in my career. I want to give my best and I think we can have a good season - maybe better than the last.
"I played at Selhurst Park last season for Schalke and the atmosphere was perfect, and I can't wait to experience the atmosphere for a Premier League game."
Meyer will wear the number 7 shirt that was vacated by Yohan Cabaye, who has joined Al-Nassr.
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