Franco-Moroccan defensive midfielder Yassin Ben Balla is reportedly being lined up for a move from Schalke 04 II to RW Essen, with the Regionalliga West player attracting 3. Liga interest amid uncertainty over his contractual status.
The 30-year-old, born in Valenciennes on 24 February 1996, is currently with Schalke’s second team in Germany’s fourth tier, where he wears the number 25 shirt. According to data from Transfermarkt, the proposed switch to Essen carries a reported probability of 69%, with Ben Balla’s market value listed at €200k – a relatively modest fee that could yet open the door to a free-transfer scenario if his unlisted contract terms allow him to move on as a free agent.
Standing at 1.80m and predominantly right-footed, Ben Balla operates as a defensive midfielder and is regarded as a screening presence in front of the back four. He holds both French and Moroccan nationality and has built his career in the German system, where a step up to the 3. Liga with RW Essen would represent a return to fully professional football.
Recent appearances for Schalke 04 II in the Regionalliga West have kept him in the shop window. In a recent league outing against a fellow Regionalliga West opponent – played in June 2026 and ending in a narrow defeat for Schalke’s reserves – Ben Balla completed the full 90 minutes in holding midfield, contributing chiefly off the ball with his positional work and ball recoveries rather than headline statistics.
With no public record of contract expiry dates at Schalke 04 II, speculation persists that Essen could either negotiate a low-cost transfer based on his €200k valuation or wait to see if the French-born midfielder becomes available as a free agent. Should the move materialise, it would offer Ben Balla a fresh platform in the 3. Liga to reassert his defensive midfield credentials and potentially relaunch his career at a higher competitive level.
