Liverpool are monitoring Schalke 04 striker Matthew Hoppe and have been suitably impressed by the American starlet, according to 90min.
The Reds have been keeping an eye on the 19-year-old since he broke into the Bundesliga strugglers‘ first team this season and could make their interest heard in the summer.
Premier League rivals Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham also have their scouts monitoring the exploits of the youngster, who has five Bundesliga goals in 11 appearances. Indeed, with Schalke scoring just 15 times in the league all season, the teenager is responsible for a third of the team’s tally alone.
Hoppe has been attracting plenty of plaudits, including high praise legendary German striker and former USA senior manager Jurgen Klinsmann, who recently described the American teenager as ‘incredible’ following the striker’s hat-trick against Hoffenheim.
Jurgen Klopp‘s squad is light on centre-forward alternatives after Rhian Brewster left for Sheffield United last year and it’s probable that the Reds will be in the market to bolster that department at the end of the season.
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Hat-trick aside, there’s little to form a solid judgement on Hoppe, whose emergence this season has caught people somewhat on the hop.
Schalke’s dire campaign has left them turning to an array of options and they seem to have struck gold with the American. Finishing is noted as a strong suit for the youngster, although his all-round game may still need plenty of work.
This said, Liverpool can’t persist much longer with Divock Origi as backup – the Belgian’s 15 outings this season have yielded just one goal and persisting with the 25-year-old seems a forlorn mission.
Football matters aside, with American owners and a burgeoning market to be tapped, signing Hoppe would make plenty of sense from a business perspective if nothing else.
