Three Bundesliga loan-outs potentially headed back as Verona battle relegation
Germany's Kicker Magazine and Köln's Geißblog fan-site both report that the obligatory purchase option in Köln attacking midfielder Ondrej Duda's loan contract will be nullified if Serie A side Hellas Verona are relegated.
Verona's potential relegation could also influence the future of Bundesliga loan-outs Jayden Braaf (Dortmund) and Deyovaiso Zeefuik (Hertha BSC).
The future of 1. FC Köln attacker Ondrej Duda - and indeed that of Hertha's Deyovaisio Zeefuik and Dortmund's Jayden Braaf - are up in the air as their loan club Hellas Verona FC battle relegation from Italy's top footballing flight. All three players were loaned out to Gli Scaligeri this year with purchase options. In the case of Duda, the purchase clause was rumored to be compulsory if the club managed to avoid the drop.
Verona's potential relegation could also influence the future of Bundesliga loan-outs Jayden Braaf (Dortmund) and Deyovaiso Zeefuik (Hertha BSC).
In an article published today on Kicker Magazine's website, German footballing journalist Frank Lußem claims that a purchase option of €2-3 million will only remain active if the club secures Serie A football for next season. This information is also reported on Köln's Geißblog fan-site. Verona are currently in 18th-place in the table (out of 20 teams) with three matchdays remaining.
Should the Venetians get relegated, all three Bundesliga players will likely be headed back to their parent clubs. Hertha - likely to be relegated themselves - won't have much use for Zeefuik. Braaf earned a reputation as something of a toxic commodity in the BVB reserves after multiple dust ups. Köln could conceivably work Duda back in, though his relationship with head-coach Steffen Baumgart has sometimes been strained.