Mertcan Ayhan will not be leaving FC Schalke 04 in the winter. This was made clear by S04 sporting director Frank Baumann.

Mertcan Ayhan will not be leaving FC Schalke 04 in the winter. The sporting director of the second division leaders made the announcement on “At Broski – Die Sport-Show.”

The rising star at the Royal Blues had recently been linked with AS Roma. “Mertcan Ayhan is from Gelsenkirchen. He is a Schalke player and is currently living his dream. He will definitely not be leaving in the winter,” said Baumann, putting an end to all the rumors. “We are happy to have him and that he identifies so strongly with the club.” Ayhan is said to have recently turned down an offer from Roma because he wants to continue developing at his home club Schalke 04. The Italians were reportedly willing to pay up to €8 million for Ayhan, who only joined the professional team from the club’s U19 team in the summer. “The latter sum was also far too low,” Baumann added, making it clear that the club would not let its gem go for less than his value at some point. Ayhan’s contract runs until the summer of 2028.

And the value of the Turkish U19 international, who is also already firmly planned for Turkey’s U21 team, is constantly rising. After vice-captain Timo Becker was injured in the 1-0 home win against Fürth, the 19-year-old brother of Kaan Ayhan was placed on the right side of Schalke’s three-man defense.

Baumann also gave Ayhan hope that he could remain in the team even after Timo Becker’s recovery. “He can also play in the number six position,” said Baumann, pointing out that Ayhan had already successfully filled this role under Norbert Elgert in the U19s.

With twelve appearances in the first half of the season so far, the former U19 captain has certainly already made a name for himself. This is another reason why promotion to the Bundesliga would be worth its weight in gold for Schalke. It would offer top talents such as Ayhan and Vitalie Becker significantly better prospects.