Fortuna boss: Zack Steffen doesn't have a buyout clause
Zack Steffen doesn't have a buyout clause in his loan deal with Fortuna Düsseldorf, says club boss Lutz Pfannenstiel.
Fortuna Düsseldorf sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel says the German club have no option to sign Manchester City loanee Zack Steffen on a permanent deal at the end of the season.
"With Steffen, it would have been possible to include a buyout clause in the deal. But in order to trigger that clause, we would have had to sell the stadium - if it belonged to us," Pfannenstiel told RP Online.
Steffen was just one of five players joining 'Die Flingeraner' on loan during the summer, with Erik Thommy, Lewis Baker, Kasim Adams and Bernard Tekpetey all completing temporary switches to Esprit Arena as well.
Asked why Fortuna don't bring in more quality players on permanent deals, Pfannenstiel responded:
"Simply because we can't. I would love to buy more players, but I see it as this: You're invited to a rich friend's wedding and have to show up in a tuxedo. But as a young man, you don't have the money to buy one. So you rent a tuxedo to look good. And when you get to earn more money, you buy a tuxedo in black, one in blue and one in red. What I want to say is that loan deals are only an intermediate step on the path of Fortuna."