Union loan keeper Grill to Braunschweig with purchase clause

Bundesligsts 1. FC Union Berlin have arranged another loan out for German keeper Lennart Grill. The former Mainz and FC Kaiserslautern man is headed to Lower Saxony's Eintracht Braunschweig for the 2024/25 2. Bundesliga campaign. Grill himself joined Union on loan from Leverkusen. Germany's Köpenick capital city side loaned him out to VfL Osnabrück last year. He was unable to keep hold of the #1 slot at his last station. 

Grill started the first 15 games of the season for Osnabrück before losing his starting place to Philipp Kühn. The 25-year-old will ostensibly serve as Braunschweig's first-choice net-minder following Ron-Thorben Hofmann's departure to FC Schalke 04. There is an obligatory purchase clause in the new loan deal linked to performance based incentives. Both sides have agreed not to divulge the details of this. 

"We want to help Lennart back to his old strength after an unsatisfactory loan spell in Osnabrück and drive his development forward," Braunschweig's sporting director Benjamin Kessel noted a club statement, "We are looking forward to a very good goalkeeper and to further increased competition within our strong goalkeeping team." 

"I want to find a sporting home again," Grill himself added "At my age, playing time is extremely important."

Grill made a total of 10 top flight appearances for Leverkusen and Union. Capped seven times at Germany U21 level, Grill was once considered destined for a top-flight job. Union were the last club to purchase him outright. At present, die Eisernen only have two keepers in the form of Frederik Rønnow and Alexander Schwolow.