Injury-prone Germany defender Holger Badstuber is looking for a new club after employers Bayern Munich said on Friday they will not extend his contract following his loan to Schalke.
The 28-year-old, whose contract expires next month, has been plagued by injury throughout his career and joined Bundesliga rivals Schalke in January to get more match time.
But Bayern, who have just won a fifth-straight Bundesliga title, announced Friday that they are releasing Badstuber, who joined the German giants in 2002 as a 13-year-old.
“It was clear from the start that Holger Badstuber, after his loan spell at Schalke, would seek a new experience most likely abroad,” said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
“Therefore Bayern Munich wish Holger Badstuber all the best and we thank him for his exemplary commitment in nearly 15 years at Saebener Strasse (Bayern’s training ground).”
Carlo Ancelotti’s Bavarian giants already have four centre-backs on their books for next season in Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels and Javi Martinez with Niklas Suele, 21, to arrive for 2017/18 from Hoffenheim.
Earlier this week, Schalke said they would not be signing Badstuber permanently after ten league appearances for the Royal Blues since January.
The burly defender made the last of his 31 appearances for Germany in March 2015.
However, his career has been dogged by injury including back-to-back cruciate ligament tears in 2012 and 2013 that sidelined him out for long spells. – Agence France-Presse
