According to 'Bild', Mertcan Ayhan extended his contract with the Royal Blues in the summer until 2030 without a release clause, despite interest from some parties. 'Bild' also states that the club bosses are looking towards the summer of 2027 and hope for a high transfer fee that Ayhan is expected to generate at that time.

According to Florian Plettenberg, Mertcan Ayhan is set to extend his contract with Schalke 04 by two years until 2030 in the coming days. The new agreement includes a salary increase and no release clause.

In the coming summer, a decision would have to be made regarding 19-year-old Turkish-German centre-back Mertcan Ayhan. Either he is sold for a significant fee, as his contract would then only run for one more year, or both sides intend to continue their cooperation, either by clause or by another extension. His contract also includes an option until 2029. The player with one cap for Türkiye U21 has a current market value of €8.00m, according to Transfermarkt.