Only eleven days left!
Schalke’s sports bosses Peter Knäbel (55) and Rouven Schröder (46) have until May 31 to decide whether to pull the purchase clause for Japan star Ko Itakura (25 / loaned from Manchester City).
A fee of 5 million pounds has been agreed as the transfer fee, which would currently be just under 5.9 million euros. A proud sum that Koenigsblak cannot take from the account…
EUR 5.9 million fee! Will Schalke take the Itakura risk?
For the permanent commitment of the fan favorite, sports director Schröder first has to win a star. The usual contenders: Malick Thiaw (20) who, along with AC Milan, is also said to be on the ballot with English clubs, as well as Amine Harit (24/loan to Marseille) and Ozan Kabak (22/loan to Norwich).
By the deadline of May 31, nothing should have been bagged for all three, let alone fixed. Means: Schalke would have to gamble on a Thiaw sale for an Itakura purchase, for example, and would thus weaken the solid financial policy of the past year.
But according to BILD information, Schröder and Knäbel categorically reject that.
Also because they could be blackmailed in the transfer final (until August 31). All interested clubs would use the Schalke MUST sell scenario to push prices down.
So there is currently a lot to be said for an Itakura departure. Schröder can try to negotiate more favorable terms with Manchester City. But the management of the defense star (31 league games/4 goals) should have had attractive alternative offers for a long time.
Conclusion: Schalke tries everything possible to hold Itakura. But the climber no longer commits financial hara-kiri.
