Coach Dimitrios Grammozis from FC Schalke 04 made a clear statement about defensive talent Malick Thiaw after the failed move to Italian runners-up AC Milan.
“It’s an appreciation for the whole club that one of our boys is being courted by such a club. It’s also a nice story for him to be associated with Milan,” Grammozis looked up at the Schalke press conference on Thursday the expired transfer period.
Milan reportedly offered Schalke a transfer fee of 6.5 million euros for Thiaw. According to “Sport Bild”, the royal blues didn’t let him go because they hoped to get significantly more money for the 20-year-old homegrown in the summer.
Grammozis now wants to keep a close eye on Thiaw’s development in the coming months. “You shouldn’t hype the story up too much. Because at that age you can quickly believe that you’ll leave on your own because of an offer from Milan, that you don’t need to do much anymore. But then it will be very difficult for him with me . He should now concentrate on Schalke. What could have happened is no longer up for debate,” said the S04 coach.
FC Schalke 04: No regular place guarantee for Malick Thiaw
Thiaw must now “show what he has already shown: that he is willing to improve every day. If he continues to perform and play like this, he will go his way,” added Grammozis.
He did not want to give the youngster a regular place guarantee. “Malick, like everyone else, has to offer himself to play.”
Thiaw has a lot of competition on the Schalke defense. Ko Itakura, Marcin Kaminski, Salif Sané, Henning Matriciani and new winter signing Marius Lode are also competing for the starting eleven in the back three. “There will certainly be cases of hardship. One or the other player will be disappointed,” announced Grammozis.