"Schalke are in contact with us. I'll call them soon to find out how serious their interest really is," Appiah's personal advisor Jean Philippe told Spox.

The Bundesliga club sought to acquire the services of the 28-year-old a couple of season ago, but the deal fell through.

At the time, Fenerbahce demanded a fee of eight million euros to give him the all-clear to move away.

Appiah sustained a major knee injury in 2007 when he was plying his trade at Juventus, and was kept on the sidelines for a whole year as a result.

He declared his contact with the Old Lady null and void in June 2008, before undergoing a trial at Tottenham Hotspur in January, but his physical condition prompted Spurs to back out of the deal.

Arsenal and West Ham United are also believed to be interested in landing Appiah in the winter.