Schalke confirm 'optimistic' Chelsea talks over Baba Rahman deal for next season

Schalke have confirmed they have opened talks with Chelsea over keeping Baba Rahman at the club next season.

Rahman was allowed to leave Stamford Bridge on loan last summer after Blues boss Antonio Conte judged the full-back to be "too attacking", according to the player himself.

The Ghana international suffered a serious knee injury during the Africa Cup of Nations campaign in January and is not expected to return this season.

Despite the lengthy lay-off, Schalke are determined to keep hold of the player. While reports in England have suggested Conte is ready to offer Rahman a second chance at Stamford Bridge, the Bundesliga side are confident of striking a deal.

"We are talking to Baba Rahman and Chelsea and I am optimistic we will find a solution that sees Baba play for us in the coming season." Schalke's director of sport Christian Heidel was quoted as saying by Ruhr Nachrichten.

Heidel did not specify whether Schalke will try to sign the player outright or simply renew their loan deal.

Rahman signed for Chelsea during the summer of 2015 for £21m, according to The Daily Mail, but would make just 11 appearances for the club during his debut season.

Heidel addressed the futures of a number of Schalke's players during a briefing on Thursday. He confirmed the club will take the option to sign Yehven Konoplyanka on a permanent transfer from Sevilla this summer, but will not do so with Holgar Badstuber, who will return to Bayern Munich at the end of the season.

Sead Kolasanic meanwhile remains heavily linked with a move to Arsenal as he nears the end of his contract, while Max Meyer, the subject of an offer from Tottenham Hotspur last summer, is also yet to commit his future to the club. On the duo, Heidel added the situation regarding new contracts has not changed.