Sports director Frank Baumann does not rule out winter transfers to FC Schalke 04.
“We are examining options on the entry and exit side, that is completely clear. But our principle is clear: we only act if we are convinced that a player will help us advance in terms of sport and character and that it is economically suitable,” the former national player told club media.
Baumann added: “We shouldn’t forget one thing: We took a risk in the summer and exceeded the originally planned budget by a low seven-figure range. That was a very conscious step at the time to specifically strengthen the squad.”
Basically, the market in January was “different than the summer,” the S04 manager pointed out. “Basically we are satisfied with our squad, and some players are coming back from injuries – these are internal new additions for us.”
According to “Bild”, Schalke would like to sign a new striker. We are looking for a young, developing attacker who fits well with coach Miron Muslic’s intensive playing philosophy – and is cheap. Schalke, on the other hand, did not want an older and expensive professional, for example from the substitute bench of a Bundesliga team, it was said.
Weak offensive is FC Schalke 04’s Achilles heel
Schalke’s offensive weakness is obvious: the Muslic team only scored 22 goals – by far the worst result of the top 5 teams in the lower house.
Video: Exclusive: This is how Baumann explains Schalke’s dream season
In terms of quantity, the attack department is not badly staffed. Moussa Sylla, summer newcomer Christian Gomis and captain Kenan Karaman are not in top form. Added to this are the ongoing injury concerns.
After the surprising 1-2 defeat at Eintracht Braunschweig last weekend, Muslic was “disappointed” and the coach emphasized that the game against Schalke would be analyzed “very self-critically”.
At the same time, the 43-year-old emphasized that they are also “very proud of the path we have been walking together for six months.”