Huntelaar announces Schalke departure for end of season

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has said he will be leaving Schalke at the end of the season when his contract with the club expires.

Huntelaar, 33, who joined Schalke in 2010 from AC Milan, has found his playing time limited this term, starting just five Bundesliga games.

And with his Schalke deal running out in the summer, the former Real Madrid man says he is planning to move on.

“It’s not all that satisfying for me here at Schalke,” he is quoted as saying by De Telegraaf. “My contract expires this summer and thus it’s my last year at Schalke.”

Schalke sporting director Christian Heidel says he understands why Huntelaar is unhappy at the club, but insists nothing has yet been decided about his future.

“There’s no row and I am not annoyed,” he is quoted as saying by WAZ. “We expected Huntelaar to be unhappy with his role. It’s not a problem that he talks about it. No decision [on Huntelaar’s future] has been made. We will sit down with him and his agent at the proper time.”

If Huntelaar is to depart the club, Schalke midfielder Max Meyer says it will be a big blow.

“I don’t want to know where the club would be without his goals,” he told reporters. “It’s a shame that he will probably play elsewhere next season.”