Felix Magath Claims Raul “Will Be An Important Player” For Schalke

With Guti announcing he will move away from Real Madrid this summer, more attention will turn to captain Raúl, the second talismanic Merengue who is expected to leave the Santiago Bernabeu this summer.

Raúl González, the club’s all-time leading goalscorer, has also been asked to stay away from training by new coach José Mourinho as his future is settled. According to comments out of Germany, that future looks likely to be in Gelsenkirchen.

Schalke 04, who finished second in last season’s Bundesliga, is thought to lead the chase to land the veteran striker, with English Premier League clubs Tottenham and Newcastle United also figuring into the chase. While rumors of a move to the Veltins-Arena have floated throughout the summer, quotes from Schalke coach Felix Magath hint that Raúl’s arrival is more of a when than an if:

“He will be a sensation in the Bundesliga,” Magath told German newspaper Bild.

“He will be an important player for us and will give a lot to the team.”

Raúl fits a need for a Schalke club that lost striker Kevin Kuranyi to Dynamo Moscow, though replicating Kuranyi’s 21 all-competition goals will require a rejuvenation from the former Spanish international.

Last season, Raúl scored only five league goals, down from 18 in the previous season. After featuring in Manuel Pellegrini’s starting lineup at the beginning of the campaign, the captain eventually settled-into a substitute’s role. His seven all-competition goals tied a career low, previously set in 2005-06.