According to Sky Sports, Crystal Palace are in talks to sign former Schalke midfielder and current free-agent Max Meyer after the German side released the 22-year-old following a public spat with sporting director Christian Heidel. However, Spurs and Daniel Levy could get themselves a bargain by hijacking the deal.

What's the story?

Meyer has been with Schalke's first team since 2013, where he started his career as a number 10. However, since new manager Domenico Tedesco joined the club last summer, the 32-year-old boss has converted Meyer into a deeper lying playmaker.

Meyer had played 24 Bundesliga matches last season and was impressing in his new position before he gave an interview to German newspaper Bild, in which he said that sporting director Christian Heidel was bullying him and that he didn't want to stay at the club.

After the interview, the youngster was banned from the squad and from training with Schalke before being left without a club this summer. Palace boss Roy Hodgson would surely see Meyer as a long-term replacement for Yohan Cabaye, who joined UAE club Al-Nasr this summer.

A risk-free deal

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy watches on

It is well known that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy loves to strike a deal and signing Meyer on a free could represent his best piece of business in recent years. Tottenham are yet to make any signings so far this summer and also had the most players get to the semi-finals of the World Cup, meaning they will rejoin for preseason training just a week before the season begins.

With Mousa Dembele heavily linked with a White Hart Lane exit this summer, according to Sky Sports, the young German midfielder could be the perfect man to inject some creativity deeper in the Spurs midfield.

The German international was recently touted as one of the top young talents in world football and a coach such as Mauricio Pochettino could certainly bring the best out of him.

[brid autoplay="true" video="273907" player="12034" title="4 Potential Replacements for Chelsea's Courtois"]