Mertcan Ayhan, a top talent and Turkish U19 national player, was previously courted by Freiburg. However, he decided to extend his stay at Schalke 04 by signing his first professional contract, keeping him at the club until at least 2028 with an option for an additional year. There is no release clause in his contract.

Freiburg is competing with Galatasaray for the signing of Schalke's young player, Mertcan Ayhan. The transfer fee is set at 200,000 Euros.