Exclusive - Schalke are bracing themselves for bids from a handful of Premier League sides looking to sign 20-year-old American forward Matthew Hoppe.
Hoppe rose to prominence in early 2021 with a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Hoffenheim which sparked a run of five goals in just three games, and 90min revealed back in February that sides from across Europe were keeping a close eye on the young forward.
Sources have since confirmed to 90min in Germany that the interest in Hoppe has not faded and there are four Premier League sides currently readying bids for the 20-year-old.
Tottenham, Southampton, Newcastle and Wolves are all expected to reach out to Schalke in the coming days with offers, and there is optimism that the German side can be convinced to sell for the right price.
Schalke are facing well-publicised financial problems - debts of £175m were reported before the COVID-19 shutdown - and have seen their issues worsen because of their relegation from the Bundesliga, so club officials have decided that selling players should be their top priority this summer.
The German side would obviously prefer to keep Hoppe, who scored six goals in 22 appearances last season, but there is an acceptance that it could be the time to cash in on the highly rated American.
Sources close to the situation believe that Hoppe is inching ever-closer to a move to the Premier League, where the aforementioned four clubs are among the most interested in the 20-year-old.
Hoppe has attracted glances from most of Europe's elite, including fellow English sides Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea in the past, and Schalke's relegation from the Bundesliga has convinced many of his suitors to formalise their interest.
Schalke would hope to recover a sizeable fee for Hoppe but will be limited in their demands by his contract. The American penned a new deal in February 2021 but that contract still has just two years left to run.
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Source: 90min
