Schalke midfielder Max Meyer has again turned down the terms of a new contract, meaning the Germany international can leave the Gelsenkirchen club in the summer on a free transfer.
Tottenham has long been linked with Meyer, and reports suggest Arsenal and Barcelona are also monitoring the 22-year-old after the player rejected Schalke's latest offer.
"Max Meyer's agents, on January 12, received an offer limited until February 15, and on February 15 informed us via email that Max has turned down the offer because of the time limit," Schalke sporting director Christian Heidel told Der Westen, courtesy of the Evening Standard's James Benge.
"We duly noted it and for now are not bound by it. This does not mean that he will not prolong his contract."
Meyer would become the latest first-team standout to leave the Bundesliga side for nothing as the club wrestles with its transfer policy. Leon Goretzka has agreed to terms with Bavarian behemoth Bayern Munich to the displeasure of Schalke supporters and is set to join the runaway league leader in the summer, and Joel Matip and Sead Kolasinac have made similar moves sans fee to Liverpool and Arsenal, respectively.
The odds of Meyer agreeing to new terms at this juncture are slim, and with other suitors likely to throw their hat in the ring alongside Tottenham, Arsenal, and Barcelona, Heidel appears set for life after Meyer.
"If Max Meyer approaches us and says he wants to continue playing for Schalke, that's wonderful," Heidel told Sport Bild. "But we can't and won't wait for much longer."
A versatile midfielder and tidy passer able to ply his trade both in a withdrawn position and in a central attacking role, Meyer has been a principal part of Domenico Tedesco's third-place side this year, making 21 league appearances.
