According to Tuttomercatoweb, Arsenal are preparing a €17m bid this summer in order to bring young playmaker to the Emirates.

• Meyer has been touted as a possible Mesut Ozil replacement
• Offensively very strong, he is weak defensively
• Still young, Meyer has plenty to work with

The 21-year-old has made 37 appearances for Schalke 04 across three competitions, mostly being played as an central attacking midfielder behind the striker.

Of 37 appearances, on 11 occasions he’s been brought on as a substitute. So far he has scored two goals and made five assists, which seems a bit low for a player playing just behind forwards.

Strengths

The young German possesses great technique along with vision and agility. With the ball at his feet he presents a real threat for his opponents as he can pick a precise pass and open up space behind defensive lines.

His main trait is ball control and Meyer looks very comfortable while in possession. On average he makes just under 14 forward passes per game which is just under 50% of his total of 28 attempted passes during 90 minutes. His passing is also precise, with 86% of all passes successful.

Meyer’s ability to open up the opposition is best presented with his statistics for creating chances and key passes. With 25 key passes in 25 Bundesliga games, and 26 created chances, it is quite astonishing that he only made one assist this season in the Bundesliga.

These stats tell us a lot more about the Schalke 04 attackers as Meyer is consistent in his delivery and creating scoring opportunities.

Next – Meyer’s weaknesses

Weakness

Due to lack of physical strength, Meyer is unable to offer any real aerial force, and his defensive work-rate and contribution looks almost like the polar opposite of his attacking abilities.

To put thing in a perspective, so far he has won 12 tackles and lost 24, while committing 11 fouls and gathering three yellow cards. If he were to join Arsenal, his defensive abilities would need serious development.

With just eight interceptions and having made no defensive blocks, most defenders surely wouldn’t appreciate his lack of contribution.

His lack of physical strength can be seen with the next two stats with just 32.5% successful take-ons and 19.35% aerial duels won. He would have to undergo a serious program to build up his physique for the Premier League.

Next – One for the future?

One for the future

Max Meyer is one of the brightest prospects in German football and has even been given the role of captain with the German youth teams.

His style of play is often compared to Dele Alli, but there are few major differences between the two.

Meyer is a player of great technique and it is visible in every step he takes with the ball. Great at picking a pass, he’s a natural play-maker but needs to work on his strength and power.

If he were to join, Arsenal would get a player with huge potential to become one of the best attacking midfielders of his generation, and with a bit of work and the right guidance from the likes of Ozil and Cazorla that could well happen.

He’s certainly no Mesut Ozil replacement at the minute, but with a bit of guidance from the World Cup winner, there is no telling what heights he could reach.