PN Sports Consulting, the agency for 20-year-old German left-back Vitalie Becker, confirmed that there is significant interest in the player from the Russian Premier League. The agency stated that many agents from Russia have called and that a transfer is possible due to Becker's heritage and Russian language skills. In addition to Zenit St. Petersburg, fellow Russian clubs Spartak Moscow, FK Krasnodar, and ZSKA Moscow are said to have the German U20 international on their list. From the Bundesliga, 1. FC Köln has also shown interest. Becker's current club, Schalke, where he is under contract until 2027, reportedly intends to open negotiations for a new contract in the spring, partly to increase a potential transfer fee. His current Transfermarkt market value is €3.00m. In the 2025/2026 2. Bundesliga season, Becker has made 16 appearances, scoring 2 goals and providing 1 assist.