Vedad Ibisevic set to join Schalke 04 on the cheap
Schalke 04 stand on the precipice of snatching a highly experienced forward in a steal of a deal.
| Vedad Ibisevic (Hertha) with two RB Leipzig players. | Photo: GEPA Pictures/Roger Petzsche |
Ibisevic reportedly received several lucrative offers from other European clubs, yet has been convinced to take a massive pay cut in signing for Schalke. His unbelievably low salary comes in below the average pay of footballers in Germany’s third division. Official DFL-statistics from last October list the average pay of 3. Bundesliga players at €120,000.
Even more astounding, the soon-to-be-finalized deal also doesn’t appear to include any major incentives that might raise Ibisevic’s base-pay. Only the standard win-bonuses are included. Sources close to the deal indicate that no ulterior pay-raise clauses exist.
Such a coup must be considered a major victory for the financially-beleaguered Schalke. A scant few days after the club obtained an estimated €4.5-6 million in loan fees from Juventus for midfielder Weston McKennie, manager David Wagner and the board now possess the fiscal resources to pursue another attacker.
Kicker cites inside sources indicating that club bosses are committed to signing another center-forward who can start regularly for the first-team. It’s conceivable that the club might revive talks with 1. FC Union Berlin to acquire Swedish striker Sebastian Andersson or possibly even resume negotiations with Austrian club Wolfsberger AC for the transfer of Israeli attacker Shon Weißman.