Schalke: Not everyone is going to be like Weston McKennie

Schalke have made a ton of progress this year, but they still have a lot to sort out. And they can’t assume everyone is going to be like Weston McKennie.

I’ve spent a lot of time lately moaning about Schalke‘s inability to prevent a yearly flow of Bosman transfers. Something about the summer being close (but the transfer window one the closer) kicks up memories of watching our best players walk away with no monetary return.

Obviously, this is something that we need to fix. It should be top of the priority list. You can’t keep losing all your guys for free. It almost feels like Schalke have this noble idea that they shouldn’t profit on players they raised or something crazy like that, I don’t know what it is.

But then you get guys like Weston McKennie, who is right on that same noble wavelength. Someone dedicated to the club who makes it a point to never do anything wrong in their eyes.

With his contract dwindling, Weston McKennie didn’t even hesitate to sign an extension. He is a dedicated servant of the club, he’s Schalke first and everything else after, he’s a dynamic presence to have on the club and someone to be proud of, but he’s not someone that can be the benchmark.

More from Release The Knappen

• Schalke 04: Arkadiusz Milik would take everything, but he’s worth it
• Schalke 04: Ozan Kabak makes Jean-Claire Todibo pass quietly
• Schalke 04: Omar Mascarell the only boost between now and then
• Schalke 04: David Wagner just has to make it to the end of the season
• Schalke 04: At least we still have Weston McKennie

Not everyone is a servant of the club. That’s not a condemnation of anyone, it’s just an assertion of what’s real. Not everyone has the same dedication to their club as Weston McKennie does. And I don’t actually think that the higher-ups at the club think that way at all, but if nothing else, it is a reminder that players like McKennie exist. Players that wouldn’t jump ship to Bayern.

It’s hard to balance out an individual’s needs with those of the club’s, and I know I harp on it a lot, but for guys like Leon Goretzka or Alexander Nubel, who were raised at the club, I just have a hard time with their psyche when they decide to walk away from their long-time club without leaving them anything in return.

That’s where this concept of the Blues being “too noble” for their own good comes into play, and trusting that players will all be like Weston McKennie when this is just unrealistic.

Anyway, for now, all we can do is celebrate that we do have guys like McKennie, who is going to be here for a really long time.