Maximilian Beier: Arsenal's Next Goal-Scoring Sensation?

We consistently hear the forward market is dead, there's no strikers on the market, there's no value for money. What if I told you that that might be true but it might also be a lie people? What if I told you there was a market opportunity for Arsenal Football Club as well as others to potentially sign a 21 year old whose stocks are rising, who's making inroads into their national team and starting to take their national division by storm. Step forward Maximilien The 21 year old Hoffenheim player is gaining plenty of plaudits. Can play as a striker, can play on the left hand side, can play as a 10, can play on the right. In many ways he's like his fellow German and countryman Thomas Muller, they're completely different but in terms of their versatility. I believe last season he got 16 Bundesliga goals in 42 appearances and three assists and he's been gaining a lot of plaudits. He's been linked with as well as many other clubs already people. After a few loan spells he's starting to show himself and I like him. I think he's intelligent, I think he's got good movement, I think he's got a good burst of pace, I think he's got a never say never attitude, I think he's adaptable, I think he's relatively both footed even though I think he's right footed and if he's not then forgive me. But through my research I like a lot of what I see. I think he's a very powerful runner and I that's where Arsenal's issues are at people. He's obviously got good height, he's six foot odd, he's got a distinct height in this game at this moment in time people. Again he's a bit of a hybrid, he can play as a striker, he's tall and gangly but he also can play out wide as well as other roles so that versatility could be an attraction. The highly rated player man, he's come a long way people. He's been highly rated since he was a teenager. At the time he was one of the youngest debutants in the Bundesliga people and Hoffenheim's youngest ever debutant in 2020 aged just 17 years of age people. He did spend the two previous years prior to the one in question on loan getting valuable experience and playing time under his belt, most notably at Hanover where he got 68 appearances and managed to record seven assists as well as 15 goals. Now them statistics aren't necessarily eye catching but as well as his overall play he's been getting plenty of admirers, none the least Julian Nagelsmann who is the German manager people. He dazzled his way through several youth ranks in Germany, people playing for the German national team and he's been going on and he's been someone that's been highly rated really and truly since the age of 15 years of age people. When he made his debut for Hoffenheim people he actually took over from Nikola Sula as being the youngest ever player people and he's come a long way. He's been on a couple of loan spells, he's played in the Europa League, he's obviously now a German international, signed an extension I believe until 2027 recently and he's showing his quality people. In fact he signed an extension in October of 2023 and I think at 21 he's obviously not the finished article but I think he's got a decent foundation. He's played in the Europa League, made his debut, gone on a couple of loan spells, dealt with the pressure of being a highly rated young player and I mean he's quite a decent player. Again there was a point in the Bundesliga he scored four goals in a row and had six goals in seven games. Now as we know for a young player what you need to do is install consistency within your game so there is going to be some volatility in goals, in assists and general performance but for me I think he passes the eye test, he affects the game across 90 minutes. He's not one of those players who's necessarily just going to score a goal and people will lap it up on social media but doesn't do anything. I think he passes the eye test, he passes the statistical test. Obviously for Arsenal Football Club he's 21 years of age so he would tie in with what we're doing people and he starred in many a game people. You look at the wins against Dortmund and Werder Bremen in February and March. You look at when he got February Rookie of the Year in the Bundesliga and at a point people come the end of 2022-23 he was only four players that managed more than 16 Bundesliga goals people. That form obviously saw him get German recognition in terms of their national team in March of 2024 people, well deserved. I think his physicality is good, he might not be the most muscular of people but where he might not be able to win via brute force, his footballing IQ as you would imagine of a German international or German player full stop people. He always has this ability of picking his moments, being in the right place at the right time, plays well under pressure, scores some decisive goals. I know strikers have to be selfish but I think there's a degree of unselfishness that I really admire in his game people. As I said he's come a long way people since he's burst on the scene initially at Hoffenheim and this would obviously be his first significant standout campaign people. There obviously is a degree of over-performance in terms of the goals he's scoring and over-performing in his XG but I think his game is defined by a lot more than just scoring goals really and truly. As I said he's right-footed but he can lose his left very well, he can operate as a nine as well as on either side. He's got a decent bit of pace about him, he's got a good shot on him, he's got quick feet, he's got great link-up play. I do think he could improve in the air for someone who's six foot odd but I do think he's quite good at that in that regards people and I think when you look back to his coach at the time, Pellegrini Materozzo, forgive me for mispronunciation, when he described him as a special talent and said above all it's important for him to get into positions from which he can shoot, he can manage that thanks to his dynamism and technique. I think he's spot on and he also said you either have those Gs or you don't and Maxi has those Gs to score goals so he's a proven goal scorer. Obviously his form saw him called up into the German Euro 2024 squad where in truth you didn't really play that much but it shows his progress and I think in many years to come he'll assert himself as a full German international. Again looking at his heat map people, he does have a bias towards the left-hand side which again is an area that Arsenal need to improve the relationships. You look on the right-hand side with the Benjamin Whites, the Odegards, the Sackers, we haven't quite been afforded that on the left-hand side. So yeah, he's a player that's been linked with us as well as many other clubs. He's done well in the Bundesliga, apparently he's got a release clause in the 20-odd to 30-odd million pound range or Euros range. So again it would provide a market opportunity and someone that wouldn't break the bank, someone that is versatile, someone that could act as a starter and a rotationary option and just in short be a stronger option for us. I think I speak for every Arsenal fan where in an ideal world we sign a winger and a striker. If we can't sign both, sign either or and I think his versatility is one and I think his stocks will keep going up and naturally with these German talents it's a matter of time and I know they signed a bunch of players before you end up at the Bayern Munich and clubs of that ilk. So he's a player I love. I think he's very intelligent. I think he's got ability to play under pressure. I think he's got great versatility. I think he finishes and uses both feet. I think he makes great runs off the ball and off the shoulders. I think he's always trying to make the difference. I think he's someone that can affect the game without goals necessarily scoring. I think there's several improvements he could make. I mean he's 21 years of age people, he's not going to be the finished article but I like what I see and you can see why Arsenal and a bunch of clubs have been linked with him and I firmly think he's one to watch. So that's all I've got to say. Whether we sign him is another thing people but as I said that's all I've got to say. Don't forget to hit the like button, comment and subscribe. God bless you all for listening. Check out the rest of the videos. Peace.