5 talented footballers with "low" release clauses
Ever since Neymar's €222 million shock transfer from FC Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain last summer, clubs have been frantically increasing the release clauses of their players, in hopes that such a departure would not be repeated.
Players such as Real Madrid's Marco Asensio, and FC Barcelona's Sergi Roberto have had their release clauses go up dramatically, to €700 million, and £440 million respectively.
However, the 5 players on this list still have "low" release clauses, which make them susceptible to transfers in the coming transfer windows.
"Low" is in quotations, as some of these release clauses wouldn't be considered low any other year, but it is 2018, and the market has been inflated, indirectly by PSG's splurge for Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
Here are 5 footballers with low release clauses that can be easily matched by other clubs:
#5 Kevin Strootman - £45 million
Strootman is a regular for AS Roma, and the Netherlands national team, making 33 appearances for the former and 9 appearances for the latter last season.
A tall, physical, and hard-working defensive midfielder, Strootman is a very skilled midfielder who can do it all: solid at tackling and interceptions, fantastic technique on the ball, and the ability to ghost into attacking positions and get goals/assists.
This season, he has been in fine form alongside Radja Naingollan, playing a huge role in Roma's midfield to such a degree that he has earned the nickname "la lavatrice", or "the washing machine" in Italian.
His current contract with Roma, which lasts up to 2022, includes a release clause of £45 million, an absolute steal in the current market, especially for someone as versatile and skilled as the Dutch international.
At the moment, no club is reported to have interest in the defensive midfielder, but with his impressive performances this season coupled with being fully recovered from the injuries that have stunted his career's growth, it wouldn't be surprising if a bigger club comes in to sign him, especially considering his low release clause.