Official | Mainz’s Tom Krauß joins Köln on complex loan deal | OneFootball

Both Bundesliga clubs involved officially confirmed German midfielder Tom Krauß’ latest loan out on Saturday. The 24-year-old Mainz 05 professional will be headed to newly promoted FC Köln on what shall be the fifth loan deal of his relatively short career. Transfermarkt.de cites “media sources” to claim that an obligatory purchase clause is part of the deal. Details of the clause are actually rather complicated.

Köln were keen to acquire Krauß on loan all summer, but Mainz’s desire to sell the player outright rendered completing the deal difficult. It is such that Mainz have built a mandatory purchase option in that will require Köln to purchase Krauß if one of two requirements are met. Either a certain number of appearances or Köln avoiding relegation will trigger a €2.5-3m purchase of Krauß.

Krauß most recently split last season on loan with Luton Town in the EFL Championship and VfL Bochum in the German top flight. Both clubs Krauß represented ended up getting relegated from their respective divisions. Krauß has amassed 76 German top flight appearances with Schalke, Mainz, and Bochum.

Köln have now acquired two players on loan in as many days after securing Wolfsburg attacker Jakub Kaminski’s services yesterday. After Kaminski, striker Ragnar Ache, and attacking Ísak Bergmann Jóhannesson, Krauß serves the fourth new arrival at the cathedral city club this summer.

“He [Krauß] provides us another important option for our central midfield, which will give our game new impetus,” Köln sporting director Thomas Kessler noted in a club statement. “He has exactly the qualities we were looking for in this central position: a strong mentality, great strength in one-on-one situations and dynamism. Despite his young age, Tom already has valuable experience at a high level.”

“There were several reasons why I chose FC [Köln],” Krauß himself added. “Thomas Kessler and coach [Lukas Kwasniok] gave me a good feeling right from the start. That’s always important. And of course the club, the city—and many friends who live here in the area. That’s why I knew very quickly that I really wanted to do this.”

GGFN | Peter Weis