Robin Gosens, the 32-year-old German left-back, is preparing to exit ACF Fiorentina after just one season. FC Schalke 04, the club he has supported since childhood, is among the interested parties in what could become one of the summer’s most emotionally charged transfers.
Fiorentina paid €7.5 million to sign Gosens permanently from Union Berlin in May 2025. Now, barely a year later, they may let him walk for as little as €1 million. That’s an 87% haircut on a player still under contract until 2028.
The numbers tell a familiar depreciation story
Transfer expert Florian Plettenberg reported on July 9, 2026, that negotiations between Schalke 04 and Fiorentina have commenced. The talks are ongoing, with no final agreement in place yet.
Gosens struggled for consistent playing time during his stint in Florence under coach Fabio Grosso. When an organization shifts its tactical philosophy, players who don’t fit the new blueprint become expensive passengers. Fiorentina appears ready to cut losses rather than pay wages on a player they don’t plan to use.
