Celtic and Sunderland wrestling to sign 'tireless' £10m star as 'enquiries' launched over summer transfer
Brentford are another Premier League club in the transfer mix alongside Rangers and Celtic.
Celtic and Sunderland are claimed to be two of the interested players in a star rated at around £10m this summer.
Soufiane El-Faouzi has impressed in the Bundesliga 2 with Schalke 04 and their return to the top table of German football has been secured. He is happy there after his work-rate left a major impression this season, on top of his 32 appearances with two goals and five assists, and that has sparked summer interest in his services.
Celtic could reshape their midfield this summer with Callum McGregor putting another year on his tyres while Arne Engels is rumoured to be eyeing an exit. Benjamin Nygren has been a regular but there’s been a lack of starts for Reo Hatate, Paulo Bernardo and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain of late. It’s reported that El-Faouzi could come into their thinking for reinforcement but the likes of Sunderland would throw up a challenge. Brentford and Bologna are amongst other interested parties.
What player do Celtic and Sunderland want to sign from Schalke 04 this summer transfer window?
Not only is it that level of interest, but the midfielder would cost around £10.3m, a fee just shy of the £11m Celtic paid for Engels almost two years ago from Augsburg in the Bundesliga. Sky Germany claim: “Schalke are keen to keep the tireless midfielder, whose price tag is twelve million euros, at the club.
“According to Sky Sport, the 23-year-old's continued stay in Gelsenkirchen is definitely a possibility, as the central midfielder feels very comfortable in royal blue. Furthermore, there have been no concrete talks with other clubs so far, meaning El-Faouzi's focus has been entirely on promotion. There was still plenty of interest in the Schalke player, with the midfielder receiving inquiries from England, Italy, and the Bundesliga.
“Specifically, according to Sky Sports, Brentford , Bologna , Sunderland , and Celtic are interested in the Schalke player, while Stade Rennes are also interested in El-Faouzi, but will not be his next destination.”
Why did Soufiane El-Faouzi sign for Schalke 04?
Speaking last summer on signing the midfielder, boss Miron Muslic said: “Soufiane showed at a good level at Alemannia Aachen how valuable his qualities can be for his team. His move to us is now the next step in his development. Soufiane has a lot to offer. We’re pleased that he’s now a Schalke player.
El-Faouzi said of his move to the side now bound for the Bundesliga: “Signing for Schalke 04 was an easy decision for me. My conversations with the club were really positive and they clearly outlined what my future will look like here. It’s great that I am here for the start of pre-season and that I will get the chance to get to know everything here at Schalke.”
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