FC Schalke 04 have completed the loan signing of Senegalese left-back Moussa N’Diaye from RSC Anderlecht, securing the defender on a temporary deal starting on 2026-02-02 and running until 2026-06-30. The move takes the 23-year-old to Germany’s 2. Bundesliga, while Anderlecht retain his registration and are scheduled to receive him back at the end of the loan.
The transfer is registered as a loan transfer, with N’Diaye arriving at Schalke while holding a current market value of €3.00m. There is no indication in the data of a purchase option being included, and his subsequent booked move back to Anderlecht at the end of the loan means he will not become a free agent when his spell in Gelsenkirchen concludes. Instead, the arrangement is a straightforward mid-season reinforcement for Schalke’s defence, with the player returning to Belgium when the agreement expires on 2026-06-30.
N’Diaye joins Schalke as a specialist left-back, listed primarily as a defender on the left side and preferring his left foot. Standing at 1.81 m, he adds mobility and balance to the flank for a club competing in the 2. Bundesliga. The move also continues his career path outside his home country of Senegal, extending a sequence of stints in European leagues that now includes Spain, Belgium, and Germany.
Before moving to Schalke, N’Diaye was under contract with Anderlecht in the Jupiler Pro League, having signed for the Brussels club from FC Barcelona Atlètic. His rise through the Barcelona system began with ASPIRE Football Dreams in Senegal, followed by a transfer to FC Barcelona U19 and later promotion to Barcelona’s B team, FC Barcelona Atlètic. That background gives Schalke a player schooled in technically demanding environments, with experience in Spain’s youth and reserve competitions and Belgium’s top flight.
The defender’s transfer history charts a steady upward trajectory in value. After being listed without a club at 16, his valuation grew during his time at FC Barcelona U19 and FC Barcelona Atlètic, then surged after his move to Anderlecht. There, his market value climbed from hundreds of thousands of euros to the current €3.00m, reflecting his development and increasing importance at senior level.
N’Diaye’s nationality is recorded as Senegalese, and his move to Schalke therefore prolongs his status as an expatriate professional, competing in European leagues rather than domestic Senegalese competitions. While his international record is not detailed in the data, his presence at clubs such as Barcelona’s youth setup, Anderlecht, and now Schalke underlines his profile as one of the notable Senegalese defenders forging a career abroad.
At Schalke, he is set to wear the number 16 shirt and operate in his natural role on the left side of defence. The loan gives him an opportunity to adapt to the physical and tactical demands of the 2. Bundesliga while offering Schalke additional depth in a key position during the second half of the campaign. When the agreement ends on 2026-06-30 and he returns to RSC Anderlecht, both clubs will have clearer evidence of his readiness either to compete again in the Jupiler Pro League or pursue further steps in his European career.
