Sweet are the fruits of patience and so it has proved to be for Crystal Palace. After a relatively quiet summer transfer season so far, Crystal Palace are on their way to penning the signature of the German prodigy Max Meyer, as the reports by The Guardian claim.
As The Mirror puts it down, the 22-year old midfielder fell out with the board of his former club, Schalke, after they refused to meet his high wage demands. Palace heads the race for signing one of the most versatile young talents around despite interests from bigger EPL clubs like Arsenal.
Football betting sites have the same opinion about Palace’s transfer strategy. There are much options to choose from and even some of the online casino New Zealand will give you the most attractive odds if you decide to place a bet.
Roy Hodgson took over the reins from Frank de Boer as the manager of Crystal Palace in September 2017 and brought their campaign back on track after four consecutive scoreless defeats. After stringing together some impressive displays against top table teams towards the fag end of the season including victories against Liverpool and Chelsea, The Eagles secured a respectable 11th place finish in the league.
The captain of the German Football Team that won the silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Max Meyer is often referred to as ‘The German Messi’. Speed, agility and dribbling are not the primary attributes of a central midfielder but when it comes to Max Meyer, he has got it all to fit into any position in the attacking third as per the need of the hour.
A footballer with good technique and balance, Meyer is the dream of any manager to have in his squad. He has shown immense versatility in playing as a central midfielder, defensive midfielder, winger and even a supporting striker. He not only has the blocking and intercepting skills of a defensive midfielder but also has the vision, flair and flamboyance of a playmaker.
If the deal is finalised, which looks like a strong probability, then Meyer can definitely prove to be the answer to many of Palace’s problems. Hodgson has preferred a back four to de Boer’s back three and the German can be deployed in multiple positions in the midfield of a 4-4-2 formation. Needless to say, Hodgson, the oldest manager in the league is one of the best in channelising the potential of rising talents to the fullest.
With Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend upfront, Palace have plenty of attacking prowess and the addition of Meyer behind them playing as a central attacking midfielder would only make things brighter. Luka Milivojevic, the Serbian central midfielder who was one of the architects of Palace’s successful campaign last time around with 10 goals, will have the pressure relieved off his shoulders as far as winning the midfield duels are concerned. With the pace and flair of Meyer in the middle of the park, Palace will be able to make more out of the counter attacks. Gambling site reviews also offer predicting the full effect of Crystal Palace signing Max Meyer by the end of the season.
Christian Benteke did not have the best of seasons last year but few can doubt the Belgian’s towering presence in the penalty area. Although he excels in terms of strength and aerial ability, Benteke is not the best when it comes to holding the ball for build up play. If Hodgson opts to go with Benteke as the lone man upfront with Zaha and Townsend at the flanks then Meyer can be the perfect feeder for the No. 9.
With his sense of agility and trickery, Meyer can be more than handy down the wings as well and can shift to the flanks if the situation demands so. In times of desperation, Meyer has shown the ability to play as a makeshift wing back. However, with the abundant resources that Palace have down the sides in Zaha, Townsend, Schlupp and Joel Ward, Hodgson might be better off using the German’s versatility at the middle of the park.
Ability to play in multiple positions from such a young age is something that does not come by very easily and that is exactly the reason why the emergence of Meyer onto the Premier League scene would be such an exciting proposition. One player does not make a team but the deal, if it materialises, will be a massive boost for The Eagles heading into the season and Meyer might just prove to be the difference between a fight against relegation and a surge for a top half finish.