Who is Matthew Hoppe? The £2m striker Everton and Arsenal are reportedly going head to head for profiled

Everton have been linked with a move for Bundesliga striker Matthew Hoppe.

The Blues are reportedly lining up a bid for the American as Rafa Benitez continues his summer recruitment drive.

Who is he?

Hoppe is a 20-year-old forward who currently plays for German Bundesliga side Schalke.

Where does he play?

Hoppe primarily operates as a centre-forward, with 19 of his 24 games for his club coming in this role last season.

However, Hoppe does have some versatility and is capable of functioning out wide if required.

It was on the left flank where he mainly played for the USA in the CONCACAF Gold Cup earlier in the summer.

How did he end up in Germany?

Hailing from California, Hoppe represented LA Galaxy academy as a teenager before his release as a 14-year-old.

He then linked up with Barcelona’s Residency Academy in Arizona and was set to play college soccer at San Diego State University before he was snapped up by Schalke in June 2019.

When did he make his breakthrough?

Hoppe spent the 2019-20 season playing for Schalke’s under-19s.

He was handed his debut against Borussia Monchengladbach in November 2020, which ended in a 4-1 loss.

However, Hoppe would spend the rest of the 2020-21 campaign around the first team.

He finished the season with six goals in 24 appearances, with the highlight being a hat-trick in a 4-0 defeat of Hoffenheim.

Although Schalke were relegated from the Bundesliga, Hoppe’s breakthrough was at least one positive in a bleak season.

What are his international credentials like?

Hoppe never represented the USA at youth level but was called up to the senior squad this summer for the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

He wasn’t just there to make up the numbers, either. The youngster played in five of America’s six matches and certainly made his mark.

Hoppe netted an 83rd-minute match-winner in the Stars and Stripes’ 1-0 win over Jamaica in the quarter-finals before starting in his country’s 1-0 extra-time defeat of Mexico in the final.

Where would he fit in at Goodison Park?

Benitez is looking to bolster his squad, although Everton have to carefully manage financial fair play rules due to recording losses in recent seasons.

It appears that Hoppe wouldn’t cost a lot to purchase, though, and he’s unlikely to demand high wages either.

The Toffees currently have Richarlison, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Moise Kean as striking options.

However, there has been plenty of speculation regarding whether Everton will look to offload Kean after spending last season on loan at Paris Saint-Germain.

Benitez could sell Kean to free up funds and recruit Hoppe to provide back-up to Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin.

What is he valued at?

According to reports, Everton are lining up a £2 million bid for Hoppe.

As per Transfermrkt, the centre-forward’s valuation is £4.5 million.

German media outlet BILD have claimed that Schalke do need to raise funds and could be willing to offload Hoppe.

Are any other clubs interested?

Everton could have a fight on their hands to land Hoppe.

A host of Premier League rivals including Arsenal, Wolves, Brentford and Newcastle United have also been linked.

Clubs in the Netherlands and Russia are also supposedly keeping a close eye on the situation.