Schalke pass on activating Jan Kirchhoff's loan-purchase option

With only six months remaining on his loan, Jan Kirchhoff knows that he is likely playing to impress his next club. Schalke have decided against activating the €6 million purchase option on his loan, according to Bild.

Schalke general manager Horst Heldt informed them that, "We have already informed Bayern Munich about it." It looks as though Bild's initial information turned out to be correct, and Kirchhoff will be disappointed to learn that he may not be remaining in Gelsenkirchen.

The reasoning for backing out on the deal, according to Bild, remained the high figure of the option. However, his next club may still turn out to be Schalke. Turning down the purchase option just means that they will have to battle every other club in the world that's interested in Kirchhoff's signature in the summer if they do want to bring him back to the Veltins Arena.

Transfermarkt currently values Kirchhoff at €3 million, and since FC Bayern snagged him on a free transfer in the summer of 2013, it's easy to see the club letting him go to whichever team makes the highest offer.