Rumour Mongering: Liverpool Target Rejects £5M Contract Offer

Max Meyer has reportedly turned down Schalke’s latest contract offer, kicking off a new round of rumours.

Liverpool have been linked off and on with Schalke 22-year-old midfield Max Meyer since before Jürgen Klopp signed on as manager, and the club may never have a better chance of signing him than now, with his contract at Schalke expiring and reports in Germany claiming he’s rejected a new deal.

The German club haven’t entirely given up on Meyer remaining at the club—unlike Leon Goretzka, who chose to sign a pre-contract with Bayern Munich last month—but that he’s turned down an offer of nearly £100k per week seems to send a strong signal that his time at Schalke is coming to an end.

And it does seem Schalke are edging towards moving on from Meyer, as sporting director Christian Heidel told Kicker this week that they’re still looking to negotiate with the player but must “plan for the new season” such that if he doesn’t re-sign shortly they will look to commit those funds elsewhere.

After seeing his development stall last season, a move into a deeper role has seen Meyer flourish in the six for Schalke this season under manager Domenico Tedesco, where he has made 25 starts and recorded a goal and an assist. It’s an unexpected development for a player who started out as a ten.

That shift in role could make the player more appealing for Liverpool, and Arsenal have also been linked with Meyer in recent months. Just how much interest either has in him at this stage isn’t entirely clear, but it certainly appears as though Meyer is available.

Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com