According to reports in The Mirror, Everton are ready to battle Premier League rivals Liverpool and Tottenham for the signature of £17m-rated Schalke attacking midfielder Max Meyer, who has been described as the ‘German Dele Alli’.
The 21-year-old German burst onto the scene and made his debut for the German side in 2013 at the age of 17, and went on to score seven goals in 41 appearances in all competitions in his first full season the following year.
That form saw the then 18-year-old secure a place in Joachim Low’s provisional Germany squad for the 2014 World Cup – which they of course went on to win.
Two more successful seasons with Schalke followed, but it has been more difficult for Meyer during the current campaign.
He has found his first team opportunities to be limited on occasions after he fell out with manager Markus Weinzierl following a defeat to Bayern Munich, and that has been reflected in his performances and stats in the Bundesliga this term.
In 21 league appearances, the attacking midfielder has scored just once from 15 efforts at goal, while he is yet to pick up an assist.
He has shown the creative ability he has in his locker by providing 19 key passes and completing 12 take-ons, but it is a record that needs to be improved upon if he is to be a success in the Premier League.
Meyer plays in a similar position to that of impressive Toffees star Ross Barkley, and the £17m-rated player would need to show more than he has done this season in order to have a chance of being named in Ronald Koeman’s starting line-up, should he choose to move to Goodison Park.
The Germany international has shown that he has the ability though, and maybe he just needs a new start under a manager that he gets along with to help reignite his career.
