Brentford sign Freiburg forward Kevin Schade on loan until end of the season; Bees expect to make deal permanent for a club-record fee of around £20m in summer; the 21-year-old German is set to sign a five-year contract with Premier League side
Wednesday 4 January 2023 14:52, UK
Brentford have signed Freiburg forward Kevin Schade on an initial loan deal until the end of the season ahead of a club-record permanent move in the summer.
The Bees - who beat Liverpool on Monday to move ninth in the Premier League - expect the German to sign a five-year contract at the end of the season in a deal worth around £20m if performance-related incentives are met.
The 21-year-old helped Freiburg finish sixth in the Bundesliga last season and has scored twice in the current campaign.
Schade's signing comes amid an uncertain short-term future around star striker Ivan Toney, who has been charged by the FA with 262 breaches of betting rules.
"I think Kevin is a typical Brentford signing. He is a young, promising talent that we see a big potential in," Brentford head coach Thomas Frank told the club website.
"We have been following him for a while and we think he will suit our style of play.
"He can play anywhere across our front three positions. He could play for us on either wing or as the central striker.
"He has great pace and is very promising in the way he runs behind defence. He is very good aerially, in both boxes, and can develop even more to be a real threat as an offensive option with his head.
"We like the way he presses when the team do not have the ball. He is willing to work very hard for his team.
"We see him as a player that could have a big potential to be a fine goal scorer and it is great to have him at Brentford. Our coaching staff are looking forward to working with him."
Schade posted a message on the Bees' Twitter, saying: "I am very excited to sign up for Brentford and can't wait to see you in the stadium."
Brentford director of football, Phil Giles, told the club's website: "Kevin is a player we wanted to sign last summer, but unfortunately a combination of factors, including that he was out injured in September, made that impossible.
"We are therefore pleased to have finally secured the transfer early during this transfer window. He initially joins on a loan deal, but we have pre-agreed with Freiburg and Kevin a set of circumstances which will see him join permanently in the summer.
"I am confident that Kevin will be with us in the long term and look forward to working with him for the next five-and-a-half years."
