In October 2013, Kaan Ayhan made his competitive debut for Schalke. Over the course of his career, the versatile defender has featured in numerous top-flight matches as well as the Champions League. Today, he proudly wears the colors of Galatasaray.
Almost twelve years after his debut, his younger brother Mertcan finally followed in his footsteps. The center-back came on as a late substitute on the opening matchday of the 2025 season against Hertha BSC Berlin. It was a special moment for the Ayhan family and for FC Schalke 04, a club that once again demonstrated its ability to integrate a talented youth player into the professional squad.
From Youth Player to First-Team Regular
Mertcan quickly succeeded in impressing the then-new Schalke coach, Miron Muslic. From the eighth matchday onwards, the right-footed player established himself in the back three of the “Königsblauen”. He became not only a key factor in their promotion-winning season but also one of the club’s new figureheads.
After all, Mertcan Ayhan had joined FC Schalke 04’s youth academy back in 2014 and progressed through every youth team since then. His promotion to the first team last season was the fulfillment of a long-held dream. Becoming a regular starter for his club is something few players can claim to have achieved.
These are the skills Ayhan possesses
Ayhan particularly benefited from three factors. First, there was his coach, who had the courage to field him as a center-back. On the pitch, the team’s compact style of play and the experience of his fellow center-backs, Hasan Kuruçay and Nikola Katic, worked to his advantage.
Thanks to these factors, the right-footed player integrated well into Schalke’s game. Ultimately, the season resulted in promotion back to the Bundesliga and a thoroughly solid debut campaign for Mertcan Ayhan. The Turkish U21 international didn’t really stand out in any of the statistics. This is also the opinion of experienced German scout Florian Först, whom we were able to interview exclusively.
“Mertcan Ayhan played an altogether solid and composed first season as a professional. In terms of defensive metrics, such as duels won in one-on-one situations and tackles, he performed at a respectable level and impressed with his proactive defending. Thanks to his timing, solid pace, and good athleticism, he was able to defuse various dangerous situations. Ayhan also showed promise in possession, displaying great composure on the ball and a progressive style of play,” the expert noted.
At the same time, however, Först pointed out areas where the young Turk still needs to improve. Ayhan’s heading game in particular needs to improve. His success rate in winning headers is far too low. He also needs to refine and intensify his approach to one-on-one duels without becoming overly aggressive. Furthermore, his decision-making regarding when to step out to challenge an opponent and the resulting spaces left behind is in need of improvement.
New Season Off to a Slow Start
The new season has not gone according to plan so far for Schalke’s most valuable center-back. Timo Becker was shifted from the flank into the back three, causing Ayhan to lose his spot in the starting lineup for the time being. The 20-year-old did not even see action in the last two league matches.
Nevertheless, he was naturally called up to the Turkish U21 national team and is set to feature in the European Championship qualifiers. After all, in the medium term, Mertcan Ayhan is a player capable of going far in his career and reaching an international level. That would mean becoming a senior international and likely even a regular starter for the “Ay-Yıldızlılar”.
Ayhan undoubtedly still has a long way to go to reach that point. However, the Gelsenkirchen native has already demonstrated flashes of high-level ability on several occasions. Our expert Florian Först also rates his potential very highly, predicting that, with optimal development over the coming years, Ayhan could reach a strong international level.
Note: Contact with German talent scout Florian Först was facilitated by the comparison site MySportwetten.de/ch. There, Swiss betting enthusiasts can find a comprehensive overview of everything related to betting in their country.
