It has been known for some time that Schalke 04 wants to sign Maximilian Lüftl as Ben Manga’s successor. Now the deal is moving closer to completion.

FC Schalke 04 has not yet presented a successor for squad planner Ben Manga, who left in September. However, several weeks ago, this editorial team reported that Maximilian Lüftl is the preferred candidate for this position. Now, the Royal Blues have made significant progress and have reached a contractual agreement with Lüftl. Kicker reported on this on Christmas Day.

The 31-year-old Lüftl currently heads the scouting department at second-division rival Hannover 96. According to the report, all contractual details between Schalke and Lüftl have been finalized, and the job title has also been determined. Lüftl is set to receive the title “Head of Scouting and Transfers,” whereas Manga previously served as “Director of Squad Planning, Scouting, and the Knappenschmiede” for S04.

It remains unclear when Lüftl will join the team in Gelsenkirchen. His contract in Hannover expires at the end of the season. However, things could move faster, as the Lower Saxony club only signed Jörg Schmadtke on Wednesday to succeed sporting director Marcus Mann, who has moved to RB Salzburg.

Schalke would like to sign Lüftl as soon as possible. However, the fall champions are under no pressure; planning for the winter transfer window, which begins on January 1, is proceeding independently of Lüftl. The Passau native, who studied in the U.S. and has previously worked for FC Bayern, FC St. Pauli, and TSG Hoffenheim, is expected to focus primarily on scouting and transfers. The important role of sporting director Youri Mulder in squad planning is expected to remain unaffected.

Meanwhile, Manga remains on the club’s payroll. After a year and a half, Schalke parted ways with him in September. “As I announced when I took office, I have used the past few months to gain a comprehensive understanding of our sporting operations. After the end of the main transfer window, we carefully analyzed what is working well and where we see potential. In doing so, we evaluated both the results of the work and the underlying processes,” said sporting director Baumann at the time. Maximilian Lüftl is expected to help further develop this potential soon.