Džeko close to staying at Schalke: new contract increasingly likely, but official confirmation is still awaited
Edin Džeko could continue wearing the Schalke 04 shirt in the 2026/2027 season. According to information published by German media on July 25 and 26, negotiations between the 40-year-old striker and the club from Gelsenkirchen have entered their final stage, while the prospects of an agreement have increased significantly over the past few days. Sky Sport states that the deal, with a probability of 80 to 90 percent, could be completed in the coming days, while Bild reported that sporting director Frank Baumann spoke with Džeko during his holiday in Dubrovnik and once again presented him with the financial framework of the offer. Nevertheless, as of July 26, Schalke had not officially announced an extension of the cooperation, meaning that reports of a one-year contract until the summer of 2027 must still be treated as media claims rather than a completed transfer. Coach Miron Muslić further raised expectations with a statement following the friendly victory against Japan's Fagiano Okayama, when he smilingly said that more people with character were still coming into the team.
The possible stay of the Bosnia and Herzegovina captain would be one of Schalke's most important moves ahead of their return season in the Bundesliga. Džeko arrived in Gelsenkirchen in January 2026 and signed a contract only until the end of the season, but in a short period he became an important player on the pitch and one of the key figures in the dressing room. According to data published by Sky Sport, he scored six goals and recorded three assists in 11 appearances. His contribution helped Schalke win the 2. Bundesliga title with 70 points, 21 victories and 50 goals scored, as confirmed by the competition's official data. The club thus returned to the highest tier of German football after three years, while Džeko turned the closing stage of his career into another chapter connected with the Bundesliga.
Negotiations gained new momentum after meeting in Dubrovnik
Talks about continuing the cooperation have been under way since the end of the second-division season, but they progressed more slowly than supporters expected. According to Sky Sport, Schalke submitted a new contract with improved earnings to Džeko at the beginning of June, on the condition that the offer remained within the club's clearly defined wage structure. At the time, the striker wanted to make his final decision after Bosnia and Herzegovina's appearance at the 2026 World Cup, which is why the club accepted a longer period of uncertainty. Bosnia and Herzegovina ended the tournament at the beginning of July with a 0:2 defeat to the United States of America in the round of 32, after which Džeko went on holiday following his international duties. It was during that period, according to Bild, that Baumann met with him in Dubrovnik in an attempt to bring their positions closer together and clarify the terms of a possible return to Gelsenkirchen.
As recently as July 23, Baumann publicly left both possibilities open. Speaking to journalists during preparations in Austria, he said that the club and the player were continuing their discussions about contractual matters, but that at that moment he could not assess whether the negotiations would end in an agreement. Sky Sport subsequently reported that the situation changed significantly over the next 24 hours and that the possibility of Džeko staying had become considerably more realistic. This development coincided with Muslić's statement following the 3:1 victory against Okayama, in which the coach emphasised that Schalke were looking for character, leadership and strong personalities for the demanding Bundesliga season. When directly asked whether the message referred to Džeko, Muslić repeated that more people with character were still coming, but did not explicitly confirm that an agreement had been reached.
Offer until 2027 with a basic salary and bonuses
According to Bild, Schalke are offering Džeko a one-year contract until June 30, 2027, with a basic annual salary of approximately 900,000 euros. Bonuses linked to the number of appearances, individual performance and the team's results could increase the total value of the package to around 1.3 million euros. These amounts have not been officially confirmed either by the club or by the player's representatives, but they have been reported by several German media outlets citing information about the negotiations. If he signs, Džeko would rank among Schalke's highest-paid players, alongside captain Kenan Karaman and some of the most prominent members of the new Bundesliga squad. A structure with a lower fixed component and a larger share of bonuses would allow the club to link part of the expense to actual contribution and sporting success.
Such a model is particularly important because of Schalke's financial situation. Returning to the Bundesliga brings greater revenue from television rights, commercial agreements and matches, but it simultaneously increases squad costs and the need for investment in several positions. In June, Baumann told the Bundesliga's official website that the pressure to sell players was lower than during the previous summer, but he also stressed that the club would still have to generate significant transfer revenue. Džeko has been a free agent since July 1, meaning Schalke would not have to pay a transfer fee to another club for his return. Nevertheless, the overall financial assessment includes his salary, bonuses and integration into the dressing-room hierarchy, which is why the board insisted throughout negotiations on limits that apply to the entire squad.
Six goals that changed the closing stages of the season
Džeko's first arrival at Schalke was conceived as a short-term reinforcement for the final 16 matches of the 2025/2026 season. In January, the club presented him as a striker with experience at the highest European level, capable of playing as a focal point in attack and scoring goals, but also of providing leadership to younger teammates. He scored on his debut against Kaiserslautern and then, over the following weeks, became an important part of the team that controlled the top of the second-division table. Although a shoulder injury briefly kept him off the pitch, he finished the season with six goals and three assists in 11 league appearances. The numbers alone do not explain his overall influence, as his presence allowed Schalke to retain the ball in the final third, create space for other attackers and use a different style of play against deeply positioned opponents.
Schalke secured the championship title before the final round and concluded the season with a 1:0 home victory against Eintracht Braunschweig. The Bundesliga's official website states that Miron Muslić's team collected 70 points, which is a club record in the era of the three-points-for-a-win rule. Captain Karaman was the team's top scorer with 14 goals, but Džeko's arrival during the winter added extra quality at a time when the pressure of the promotion battle was increasing. It was precisely the combination of Karaman, Džeko and the rest of the attack that gave Schalke the experience needed for the closing stages of the competition. For that reason, the discussion about a new contract is not only about the contribution of one veteran, but also about how highly the club values the continuity of the group that achieved a return to the elite tier.
Muslić needs experience for a considerably more demanding league
Coach Miron Muslić has repeatedly warned that the Bundesliga will demand a higher level from his team in physical, technical, tactical and mental terms. At the first public training session at the beginning of July, which was attended by around 3,700 supporters according to a dpa report, he described the new season as an exceptionally great challenge. During the summer, Schalke have already signed players such as Junior Adamu, Satoshi Tanaka, Maximilian Wöber and Robin Gosens, thereby beginning to increase quality and experience across various areas of the team. Džeko's stay would provide Muslić with an additional option in the centre of attack, as well as the authority of a player who understands the pressure of major clubs and the most important European competitions. In a team that will probably spend much of the season fighting for stability and survival, such a profile can be important even when the striker does not spend all 90 minutes on the pitch.
At the same time, a new contract would have to clearly define his sporting role. During the spring, Džeko showed that he does not see himself exclusively as a substitute option for the closing stages of matches, while Schalke must take into account his age, the strain following the World Cup and the rhythm of the Bundesliga. The club have already strengthened their attack by signing Adamu, while Muslić also has Karaman and other attacking players at his disposal. For that reason, Džeko's playing time could be adjusted according to the opponent, the state of the match and his physical condition, rather than being tied in advance to a guaranteed place in the starting line-up. Nevertheless, his value goes beyond the traditional division between starters and substitutes, as he can serve as the central focal point of the attack, a mentor to younger players and a solution in matches where experience in the penalty area is required.
A return to the Bundesliga has special significance
For Džeko, a new contract would mean another return to the league in which he built his international reputation. He won the German championship with Wolfsburg in 2009, while during his career he also played for Manchester City, Roma, Inter, Fenerbahçe and Fiorentina. He won two English Premier League titles, appeared in a Champions League final and was among Europe's most reliable strikers for years. When first signing him, Schalke presented him as one of the most successful goalscorers of his generation, but his arrival at a second-division club also had a powerful symbolic dimension. At the time, Džeko emphasised that he had wanted Schalke from the beginning and that he was attracted by the possibility of helping a major club return to the Bundesliga.
That mission has been accomplished, but continuing the cooperation presents a different task. Instead of fighting for the top of the 2. Bundesliga, Schalke will face a faster tempo, stronger opponents and fewer matches in which they can dominate possession. Džeko's hold-up play, spatial awareness and ability to finish attacks could be particularly useful in matches in which the team will have few opportunities. His experience could also help in managing the pressure that traditionally accompanies a club with a large supporter base and high expectations. However, the success of such a plan will depend on how effectively the coaching staff can manage his workload and build an attacking structure that does not depend on only one player.
Schalke need a quick decision before the start of competitive matches
The time available for a final agreement is gradually running out. According to the published schedule, Schalke will play their first competitive match of the new season on August 24 in the first round of the German Cup against Hallescher FC, while a Bundesliga away match at Augsburg awaits them on August 28. If Džeko signs during the final days of July, he will have several weeks to join training, return to competitive rhythm and develop tactical understanding with his new teammates. Any further delay would reduce the time available for preparations, particularly after the summer holiday and the international tournament. It is therefore in the interests of both the club and the player to announce their decision as soon as possible, regardless of whether it results in a continuation of the cooperation or a separation.
The current signals are nevertheless considerably more positive than they were in mid-July. The latest information from Sky Sport indicates a sudden movement towards an agreement, Bild has published a specific financial framework, and Muslić's message about the arrival of new leaders has been interpreted as a clear allusion to Džeko. None of these elements constitutes official confirmation on its own, but together they indicate that the negotiating process has entered a phase in which the key obstacles have probably been reduced. A signature would allow Schalke to retain one of the symbols of last season's rise, while giving Džeko the opportunity to play in the Bundesliga again at the age of 41. Caution remains necessary until the club makes an announcement, but according to the available information, a continuation of the cooperation now appears more likely than at any point since the expiry of his previous contract.
Sources:
- Sky Sport – latest information about the final stage of negotiations, the assessment of the likelihood of an agreement and statements by Frank Baumann and Miron Muslić (link)
- Bild – report on the meeting in Dubrovnik, Muslić's statement and the alleged amount of the basic salary and bonuses (link)
- Sky Sport – details of the offer from June and Džeko's record of six goals and three assists in 11 appearances (link)
- FC Schalke 04 – official announcement of Džeko's initial arrival, his role and an overview of his club career (link)
- Bundesliga – official overview of Schalke's 2. Bundesliga title, final points tally and results from the 2025/2026 season (link)
- FC Schalke 04 – official report on Bosnia and Herzegovina's performance and Džeko's exit from the 2026 World Cup (link)
- dpa / Welt – Schalke's preparations, Muslić's statements about the demands of the Bundesliga and the schedule of the first competitive matches (link)