Kicker Report: Freiburg's Lienhart has a €16 million exit clause in his contract
In a joint article appearing on the website of Germany's preeminent footballing publication, Kicker Magazine journalists Benni Hofmann and Carsten Schröter-Lorenz claim that SC Freiburg's Austrian defensive mainstay Philipp Lienhart has a €16 million exit clause in his contract.
SC Freiburg defender Philipp Lienhart's recent statements concerning a potential move back to Spain might end up with a transfer out for the 26-year-old this offseason. The Breisguaer defensive mainstay has increased his market-value ten-fold since Freiburg purchased him from Real Madrid for a €2 million sum in the summer of 2018.
The 11-times-capped Austrian international has been linked with both a return to Real and other Spanish clubs in recent weeks. German footballing journalists Benni Hofmann and Carsten Schröter-Lorenz purport to have discovered that Lienhart has a €16 million exit clause in his current contract with the SCF; a deal set to expire at the end of next season.
In an extremely detailed article appearing on the website of Germany's Kicker Magazine, Hofmann and Schröter-Lorenz convey some bad news concerning this exit clause for Lienhart's German club. Namely, that the purchase arrangement that enabled Lienhart to join Freiburg reserves as much as €6 million or more for the Spanish side.
Freiburg were able to negotiate down to purchase Lienhart for half his purchase clause amount nearly five years ago. It was only by giving Real this re-sale clause - something that has apparently remained through two contract extensions signed by Lienhart - that the SCF administrative team got their targeted man at an affordable rate.
Lienhart has made a total of 162 appearances for Freiburg across all competitions over the last six seasons. He's logged significant action in 34 of 37 competitive fixtures across all competitions this year, only missing out when a thigh injury sidelined him.