Although several clubs, including AS Roma, were interested in 19-year-old Turkish-German defender Mertcan Ayhan, he rejected all approaches due to his desire to play Bundesliga football with Schalke. Consequently, Ayhan is expected to extend his contract with Schalke 04 in the coming days, with the new two-year deal set to run until 2030. The agreement reportedly includes a salary increase but no release clause. The Türkiye U21 international made 27 appearances for the club in the 2. Bundesliga last season and has a current Transfermarkt market value of €8.00m.