West Ham United, a club relegated from the Premier League, was interested in signing Soufiane El-Faouzi. The club was willing to pay the transfer fee of more than ten million euros that Schalke had requested. However, El-Faouzi himself is said to have cancelled the transfer. The player expressed he did not want to move and instead aimed to become a prominent player for Schalke, as he was inspired by the passion at the club.