Schalke 04 immediately rejected an official offer of 11 million euros from Shabab Al Ahli for Soufiane El-Faouzi, a 23-year-old German and Moroccan central midfielder. The German club's firm response indicates their desire to keep the player, who is considered internally to be an essential part of their medium and long-term sporting project. El-Faouzi, who joined Schalke in July 2025 and has a contract until 2029, was also targeted by Borussia Dortmund last summer. His current Transfermarkt market value is €4.00m, and other clubs, such as Rennes, Bologna, and Brentford, have also been recently linked with him. According to reports from May 2026, Schalke values the player at €12 million. The asking price was reportedly up to €10 million in March 2026.