Schalke 04 midfielder turned down interest from West Ham

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·2 September 2026

West Ham United made an approach for Schalke 04 midfielder Soufiane El-Faouzi towards the end of the summer transfer window, Sport Bild reports.

The Championship outfit were informed by the player’s camp that Schalke would want more than €10 million for the 24-year-old.

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While that was not a problem for West Ham, El-Faouzi himself turned down the move, according to the report.

The central midfielder wasn't interested in leaving and instead wants to remain one of the key players at the Gelsenkirchen club.

West Ham ultimately ended up signing former Augsburg midfielder Arne Engels from Celtic instead, paying a reported €25.75 million fee.