According to 'Sport Bild', both clubs had already agreed on a transfer for Moussa Sylla worth six million euros plus bonuses. However, the medical check was not satisfactory from New York's perspective, and for this reason, they suddenly only wanted to loan Sylla. New York City FC's proposal was for a loan until December 2027. At that point, they wanted a purchase option to decide whether to permanently sign the 26-year-old, and they were unwilling to grant Königsblau a purchase obligation. Schalke's sporting director Frank Baumann was enraged and rejected the new terms. Sylla is now part of the Schalke team again but is mostly on the bench.

Schalke 04 striker Moussa Sylla was disappointed after the MLS franchise NYCFC cancelled a €7m deal for him, with the stated reason being complications with his medical. NYCFC can still make acquisitions until 26 March, but Schalke did not receive the funds from the deal, which the club needed. Schalke have been trying to sell Sylla since the summer. The club was so confident of his exit in January that they made significant investments to improve their chances of returning to the Bundesliga, signing players that included Edin Dzeko.

According to Bild, New York FC wanted to sign Moussa Sylla from Schalke 04 for a price that was reported from Schalke's side as 7 million including bonus payments. The report also stated that after the medical check, New York expressed health concerns and wanted to loan Sylla for a much lower fee. Schalke described this as a scheme and asserted that Sylla is in top condition. The transfer was not completed on the last transfer day, and it is reported that Moussa Sylla would have received approximately 500,000 euros from the transfer fee if the move had been completed.

Moussa Sylla's transfer to New York City FC failed because of the medical examination. According to Schalke's Sport-Vorstand Frank Baumann, the contracts had been negotiated and were already signed. Baumann states that New York City FC cited a failed medical check as the reason for not completing the signing, referencing minor issues discovered during the examination. Baumann claims Moussa Sylla is healthy and fit to play and that Schalke will strongly contest this account to protect the player. Baumann also mentioned that on February 1st, a loan with options was proposed instead of a permanent deal, which Schalke found unacceptable.