Why Crystal Palace parting ways with Max Meyer is a sensible move
According to BBC, Crystal Palace have parted ways with out-of-favour midfielder Max Meyer, with the German terminating his contract at Selhurst Park by mutual consent.
The 25-year-old played in just a single EFL Cup fixture for the Eagles this season and never made an appearance in the Premier League. Meyer had only six months remaining on his contract but he expressed his desire to seek greener pastures elsewhere after being completely frozen out of the mix by Roy Hodgson. (h/t Daily Mail)
As per the report, Meyer is poised for a return to the Bundesliga, where relegation-threatened Cologne are prepared to offer him a chance to resurrect his career. The 4-cap German international ended his career at Palace with a total of 56 appearances over two-and-a-half seasons, scoring just twice in the process.
It was seen as a real coup when Crystal Palace beat off competition from a number of top clubs across Europe to snap up Meyer on a free transfer back in the summer of 2018. Since he came through the youth system at Schalke, the Eagles only had to pay a small compensation fee of £450,000 to sign the midfielder.
Meyer’s status as a free agent allowed him to earn a bumper £170,000-a-week contract, wages that are regarded very high by Selhurst Park standards. The German featured as a key squad player for Palace in his debut season, scoring twice in 36 appearances, including 15 starts in the Premier League. (h/t Transfermarkt)
However, that wasn’t enough to impress Hodgson, who hardly utilised Meyer in the Premier League last season. The 25-year-old was limited to just 6 league starts for the Eagles in the previous campaign and slipped further down the pecking order heading into the 2020-21 season following the acquisition of Eberechi Eze from QPR.
Meyer hit his rock-bottom at the English capital when he was demoted to train with the club’s U-23 side in December.
Putting things into context, it is a no-brainer that Crystal Palace have made a sensible decision by offloading Max Meyer this month. The German’s contract had been due to expire at the end of the season anyway and with the midfielder not featuring in the manager’s plans, the Eagles have done the right thing by allowing him to depart.
Meyer’s departure is expected to help Hodgson trim down his wage bill whilst also freeing up substantial cash to fund moves for other potential targets. The German clearly failed to make an impression, having struggled to get to grips with the rough-and-tough nature of English football. Having said that, it wouldn’t have made any sense for Palace to keep paying him such extortionate wages for simply gathering dust at the club.
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Verdict
Crystal Palace need to lower the average age of their midfield with so many ageing legs currently competing for places in that department. Parting ways with Max Meyer, to that end, should definitely help them focus on other targets in the market. The German didn’t seem to have a future at Selhurst Park and is now free to try and get his career back on track after a disastrous spell in London. That said, it’s a fair settlement for all parties involved.
