Multiple Sources: Czech international Kral set to sign for Schalke
Virtually all German footballing media sources now report that FC Schalke 04 are on the verge of a major transfer coup.
Czech midfielder Alex Kral--a €7 million heavyweight once linked with much richer clubs such as Leipzig--will head to Gelsenkirchen on the cheap.
Czech midfielder Alex Kral--a €7 million heavyweight once linked with much richer clubs such as Leipzig--will head to Gelsenkirchen on the cheap.
| Kral playing for the Czech Republic | Tadeáš Bednarz CC-BY-SA 4.0 |
At present, it remains unclear why Kral chose Schalke above other potential suitors. Moreover, the precise terms of the arrangement also get murky. It's possible that Schalke still must conclude a loan arrangement with Spartak in order to exercise rights to the player. Spartak most recently collected some €5 million in loan fees from Premiership side West Ham United, at which Kral spent the entire 2021/22 season on the bench.
German footballing magazine Kicker, among others, report that Kral is sescheduled for a medical in Gelsenkirchen on Wednesday. Though his nion-use in London did see Kral's estimated market value dip from a peak of an estimated €12 million to €7 million in the latest transfermarkt listings, the current value of the defensive midfielder would make him by far Schalke's biggest summer acquisition.
