Schalke has to get creative this coming transfer window, but Malang Sarr is proof that it can be done, and that solutions can be found bargain shopping.
The problem with Schalke taking such extraordinary talents on loan—like Jonjoe Kenny and Jean-Claire Todibo—is that they can’t afford to purchase them afterward. Both stars are expected to go for around $32-35m, which is far and away out of Die Knappen’s financial resources.
So they have to get creative. Or rather, stay creative, since it’s a usual thing for them to have to go bargain hunting in the transfer window. Thankfully, thanks to people like Malang Sarr, bargain hunting is still such a viable method of finding solutions.
Sarr is out of contract at Nice and the 21-year-old can thus be obtained for free, despite his market value tickling $20m, a price that Schalke probably wouldn’t have paid otherwise. But since he can be won for free, they don’t have to worry about it.
With Malang Sarr, Schalke don’t need to spend money on Jean-Clair Todibo
Sarr would be the perfect substitution if we’re unable to land Todibo and, honestly, in the spirit of saving costs for, oh I don’t know, Arkadiusz Milik (or any other striker for that matter), it makes far more sense to invest in Sarr than to drop $35m on Todibo.
Mostly because we don’t need Todibo as much as we need a new striker. Keep in mind that Todibo was brought in as an emergency fix to this defense and even still, with Ozan Kabak and Matija Nastasic holding down the fort, Todibo had to wait for another injury to get his opportunity.
When Salif Sane gets healthy and we retain Kabak and Nastasic, we have three superb starting centerbacks, not to mention if we extend Benjamin Stambouli’s contract as well. That would be four starting-quality centerbacks.
We don’t need to drop a chunk on a fifth. Not when Malang Sarr is legitimately a fifth and we can get him for free. He plays a similar style, he’s young and exciting, and he’s actually got a higher market value than Todibo, if you buy into those kinds of things.
Sensible shopping is the name of the coming transfer window, as it will be for the foreseeable future, and Malang Sarr proves that it can still be done.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d still love to have Todibo, but in an effort to convince myself that we don’t need him, I think I’m doing pretty well.