Sunderland are among several clubs interested in Schalke's German and Moroccan midfielder, Soufiane El-Faouzi. Celtic, Brentford, Bologna, and Rennes are also interested in the 23-year-old. His performances contributed to Schalke securing promotion to the Bundesliga. It is also claimed that Schalke plans to retain the player and has set a valuation of €12 million (£10.3 million) for him. El-Faouzi is under contract until June 2029 and joined Schalke from Alemannia Aachen in July 2025 for a fee reported to be €200,000. His current market value is €4.00m, according to Transfermarkt. Previous reports also mentioned offers of at least €8.5 million in January 2026 and an asking price of up to €10 million in March 2026.