According to SportBild (via SportWitness), Manchester United have stolen a march over Liverpool after opening talks to sign Hoffenheim striker Maximilian Beier this summer.
The 21-year-old had a promising 2023/24 campaign with Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga. He registered an impressive 16 goals and 3 assists from 33 appearances as the club finished 7th in the table.
His performances have grabbed the attention of Premier League clubs. SportBild claim that Man Utd and Liverpool are interested in signing Beier while Nottingham Forest have also expressed an interest.
However, it appears Man Utd have got the jump on Liverpool as the report claims United have now made contact with Hoffenheim to enquire about the conditions of a deal. Hoffenheim have reportedly indicated that the striker has a £27 million release clause in his contract.
Top prospect
United are expected to enter the transfer market for a new centre-forward with Anthony Martial set to leave on a free transfer.
Rasmus Hojlund is the only specialist striker in the squad. Marcus Rashford is capable of leading the line, but manager Erik ten Hag may want another young centre-forward to compete for places with Hojlund.
Beier could be the solution. The youngster has the knack for pressing opponents with his raw pace. He has also impressed with his positioning and ability to find the target with his goalscoring attempts.
The German does not have an aerial presence in the box like Hojlund, but makes up for it with his mobility. Beier is a right-footed striker, but he scored 5 goals with his left foot in the Bundesliga last season.
Beier has a slight bias for the left wing and it remains to be seen whether United proceed with a formal move. The price does not appear on the higher side, but the youngster is still largely inexperienced.
We have seen several forwards struggle in the Premier League after arriving from Bundesliga. Timo Werner and Jadon Sancho are among the prime examples and United may need to be wary of the same.
The youngster may not guarantee goals at the start. Just like Hojlund, he may need time to adapt to the Premier League. The fans would ideally prefer an experienced star, who can hit the ground running from the off.
