Why Malik Tillman's Bayer Leverkusen move is a big risk worth taking | OneFootball

After a breakout season with PSV Eindhoven and a stellar Gold Cup, USMNT starlet Malik Tillman is on the move. Tillman has officially signed with German club Bayer Leverkusen for a club record fee of close to $41 million. The move to a club that won the Bundesliga two years ago and was the runner-up to Bayern Munich this past season makes Tillman one of the highest-profile American players.

Tillman’s move to a bigger club shouldn’t come as a surprise. He was a key figure in leading PSV to the Eredivisie title this past season, scoring 12 goals (second most on the team) in 26 matches. Tillman then spent the summer helping the USMNT reach the Gold Cup finals. Throughout the tournament, Tillman was undoubtedly the team’s best attacking player.

Even so, it's far from a certainty that his step up to a genuine title contender in a Big Five European league will work out. Let's take a closer look:

Big shoes to fill

Leverkusen’s interest in Tillman came about after they lost Florian Wirtz to Liverpool earlier this summer. It would be unfair to say that Tillman is solely responsible for filling the massive void left by Wirtz, who has emerged as a world-class player who was sold to Liverpool for a fee of close to $135 million. However, Tillman has been Leverkusen’s biggest signing since losing Wirtz, so it stands to reason that the club views him as a like-for-like replacement.

That puts huge expectations on the 23-year-old Tillman, giving him huge shoes to fill right away in his Leverkusen career. Obviously, Leverkusen has other attacking players to contribute. Most notably, Patrik Schick scored 21 goals for the club last season. But in terms of being a creative force, nobody in the Leverkusen squad measures up to Wirtz. Thus, if Leverkusen experiences a drastic drop in performance this season, Tillman could become a scapegoat, even if he performs relatively well personally..

The right fit?

In terms of style and skillset, Wirtz and Tillman are not the same. Wirtz is a few inches shorter, a step quicker, and a touch less physical. He also has the versatility to play wide or as a false nine, whereas Tillman is best utilized centrally in the No. 10 or No. 8 positions, despite playing on the wing at times.

Therefore, he won’t just step into Wirtz’s position; Tillman will have to find a way to fit into the squad. That will be a challenge at a new club and in a new league. He was an excellent fit in the Eredivisie, but will have to adjust to the different style and increased physicality of the Bundesliga. That could take some time, which is not a luxury Tillman has.

The good news is that the German-born Tillman has previous experience in the Bundesliga and should have no issue from a language or cultural perspective. He came up with Bayern Munich and made a few appearances for their senior team, which is as big as it gets in Germany.

Is the timing right?

It would have been hard for Tillman to decline such a big offer. But it’s still worth pondering if the timing of this move makes sense. He clearly had a good thing going with PSV and enjoyed a breakout summer with the USMNT. At this point, Tillman will surely be on the World Cup roster next summer so long as he's healthy, and might even be penciled in as a starter.

At the same time, there is a risk that comes with changing clubs the summer before a World Cup. If it’s not a smooth transition, he could suffer a lack of form, playing time, and confidence. It might not lead to him missing out on the World Cup, but it could result in him having a lesser influence than if he had stayed in familiar surroundings at PSV.

Worth the risk

But there will always be some risk when a player leaves a comfortable situation for a bigger challenge.

However, Tillman is more than prepared to meet the challenges that await him. He proved at Eindhoven last season and during the Gold Cup that he can be the center-piece of his team’s attack. A big move to Germany should also be an easier ask than to somewhere else in Europe.

The chance to be a star for a team vying for a Big Five domestic title and aiming to do real damage in the UEFA Champions League doesn't come around every day. Even with some level of uncertainty, Tillman’s transfer to Leverkusen is the right move at the right time.