Who is Maximilian Beier? The Bundesliga sensation eyed by Man Utd

Tom Weber

12 Jun 2024 15:08 BST
4 min read

Maximilian Beier, Germany, Hoffenheim — © IMAGO

21-year-old Maximilian Beier is one of German football's most interesting talents.

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The youngster is versatile, clinical in front of goal and he took the Bundesliga by storm in his first full season as a Hoffenheim starter. His breakout performances not only earned him links to the likes of Liverpool and Man Utd but also a spot on Julian Nagelsmann's Germany roster for Euro 2024.

But who is Max Beier and how good is he really?

What position does Beier play in?

Max Beier is a striker, but he can also be utilised on the wing.

How good is Beier?

Highly rated since being a teenager, the 2023/24 season was Beier's first in which he is received regular Bundesliga minutes at Hoffenheim. He made his Bundesliga debut at age 17 and became his club's youngest-ever debutant in 2020.

However, the previous two campaigns were actually spent out on loan in the second division in order to get playing time under his belt. At Hannover, Beier made 68 appearances and scored 15 goals, also recording seven assists. While those numbers are not necessarily spectacular, the youngster impressed at the former Bundesliga club with his overall play and earned plenty of plaudits.

Indeed, it was no surprise that Hoffenheim, prior to last season, felt that he was now ready to make the step up. Beier plays with a youthful exuberance, but when he gets near the goal, he is reliable beyond his years. Quick and clinical, the 21-year-old has racked up 16 goals and three assists in 33 Bundesliga appearances in 23/24.

In September 2023, coach Pellegrino Matarazzo hailed Beier as a special talent. "Above all, it is important for him to even get into positions from which he can shoot. He can manage that thanks to his dynamism and technique. You either have those genes or you don't, and Maxi has those genes to score goals."

Off the back of his breakout season, Beier was called up by Julian Nagelsmann for Germany's Euro 2024 squad and the former Hoffenheim boss is clearly a big fan of the striker. Shortly after Nagelsmann got the DFB job in 2023, it was rumoured that Beier could be in line for his senior national team debut. He eventually had to wait until June 2024 to make his bow, but he is sure to be a regular fixture for years to come.

What clubs are interested in Beier?

Throughout the 2023/24 season, Liverpool and Brentford were among the clubs linked with Beier. Following the conclusion of the campaign, Bayer Leverkusen and Man Utd joined the ranks of interested clubs.