Ah, well. Never really understood why we needed him but his transfer fee was cheap, so maybe worth the try. Now Kloppo just has to buy Sam and the deadweight woud be cleared. At least Santana was a professional who could be used if a coach wanted to and who didn't make any trouble.
Yeah, Santana was a decent character. Reasonable attitude and got along with teammates. Just didn't happen to work out at the end. I see Thilo Kehrer is with the pro training camp and even played in that American tournament game yesterday. Worth giving him a chance in the Rückrunde if he's willing to negotiate a contract extension.
Another player heading to Russia. Neustädter has reportedly reached an agreement to join Zenit St. Petersburg this summer when his contract runs out. He's also in the process to get his Russian citizenship and hopes to play for them in the Euros. Guess he's been rather off and on for you guys. But I felt he's been a reliable player most of the time who also provides versatility. Anyways, this is another reason to accelerate the integration of Kehrer into the senior team. http://www.transfermarkt.de/bericht...it-zenit-st-petersburg-einig/view/news/222872
One of the top talents from last year's U17 WC, Alper Ademoglu is nearing a move to Schalke. The '98-born Belgian is a promising central midfielder from Anderlecht's academy. https://www.anderlecht-online.be/en/article/135500 Schalke steht vor der Verpflichtung von Belgiens U17-Nationalspieler Alper Ademoglu (17), so Het Nieuwsblad. #S04 pic.twitter.com/zK1qWvPQFW— Bundesliga Latest (@BL_LatestNews) January 13, 2016
Neustädter is pretty never injured, that is very valuable. While he is not a flashy player, he is still rather solid if played in the right circumstances. It is just that we couldn't provide them very often, so that he looked rather bad often. It'll be tough if we lose both Matip and Neustädter this summer, so nothing has been decided yet. Hopefully Nastasic comes back fully after his injury. He could provide a solid foundation for the central defence. Höwedes isn't bad either, but he, too, thinks about a transfer now and then.
Not sure if serious but Bild are saying that Wolfsburg are looking at Kolasinac as a LB replacement if they sell Rodriguez this summer. A potential sale probably shouldn't be ruled out but only for the right price. He's always a hard worker and displays quality impact whenever on the pitch lately. Also entering the age where defenders get closer to reaching their prime. I would only consider offers beginning at 15 Mio or above. http://www.bild.de/sport/fussball/vfl-wolfsburg/was-lauft-mit-zaza-und-kolasinac-44189474.bild.html
Alper Ademoglu rejects Juventus' offer as he prefers a move to Germany where he has family. Several Bundesliga clubs have shown interest but Schalke remains his preferred destination. His current contract runs till 2017 so a transfer will have to be worked out. He also recently posted a photo on Instagram with a caption saying "Time for change". http://www.dhnet.be/sports/football...la-juve-pour-schalke-56a10f213570b38a5847b4c7
Heldt shot down any possible transfer of Kolasinac after Aogo suffered an injury. He said at the press conference that they are looking to sign one maybe two additional players. Mainly they are looking for a central defender maybe somebody for defensive midfield. I have to say I'm not a fan of these news at all. I don't think that is a position where we need to strengthen the squad and we sure as hell don't need to waste money on some average schmucks just to bolster the deep bench. There are still more than enough alternatives available even after Höwedes injury. Heldt will talk about an extension with Matip and his agent at the end of january. I'm not optimistic that he can resign him although nothing is final yet.
Good choice to hold onto Kolasinac, his versatility and presence will be needed for the second half. I heard the name Serdar Tasci mentioned today on Transfermarkt being linked to Schalke. Former Germany NT player at one point, but then lost relevance once he moved to Spartak Moscow. I don't follow Russian league but appears his value has been steadily declining. So not the best option to go after. Would rather give the opportunity to someone like Kehrer to prove himself. Breitenreiter says here that he's made a solid impression and could become an alternative in defence. Breitenreiter: Thilo #Kehrer hat sich in den vergangenen Wochen sehr gut präsentiert und kann eine Alternative für uns werden. #S04— FC Schalke 04 (@s04) January 22, 2016
Well, Kehrer is a highly rated youth player. I would love it, if he would extend his contract after all the crap in the summer. Its probably too late, comparable to Matip. None of the names in the rumour mill impress me. Vogts or Tasci, bah. What a waste of money.
Quite the signing you guys completed. Alper Ademoglu is a very promising youngster. After Tielemans, he is expected to be Anderlecht and Belgium's next rising talent. http://knappenschmiede.schalke04.de/de/aktuell/160128_ademoglu/page/2214--6-6-.html
Yes, that was a good signing. I hope Heldt is unable to sign Tasci or at least is only trying to loan him. I could live with that although I would trust Friederich and Kehrer to be competent backup until Höwedes or Nastasic are back.
Yes, I think we will. He is our best central defender in built up play and in general a very solid, dependable player. From a physical standpoint Matip could be an absolute beast of a central defender, he has all the tools, height, strength, pace. He somewhat lacks aggressiveness which is probably the main reason why he flies under the radar. His play depends more on reading the game and interceptions than powerful tackles. He also doesn't suffer many injuries which is something Höwedes has been struggling with of late. There have never been any scandals and problems linked to him. Well, he has been at Schalke since he was 9 years old, so yes I think we will miss him. How the club mismanaged his extension is unbelieveable. It was a no-brainer, has been for years. There was no need to let it come to this.
Thanks Homa - much appreciated. Best of luck in the remainder of the season. Maybe Heldt will finally get sacked in the summer.
Wasn't aware that had been confirmed yet - I haven't seen anything official on English-language Bundesliga sites so far, although there have been plenty of rumours.
It is not official. The only sure thing atm is that Heldt's contract runs out this summer. But everything looks like Heidel will join Schalke, and I'm pretty optimistic that he will indeed. Not sure what to expect or how much improvement will be visible. Heldt wasn't a bad manager just average and especially unlucky with his choice and handling of coaches. That's what broke his neck. The transfers were acceptable especially if you see how much less we spent than nearly anybody else up top. The youth system was fantastic in the last couple of years and the team atm looks like it could be really good with some smart additions and if the key players stay and develop further. That is a pretty solid foundation for Heidel or whoever else will take over. Even most of our financial problems should get solved in the next couple of years with the increases in tv money and better sponsorship deals (our Adidas contract sucks majorly).