Brentford have announced the signing of Freiburg's versatile forward Kevin Schade on an initial six-month loan with a purchase obligation.
The German Under-21 international makes the switch to west London with the view of a five-year contract and becoming the club's record signing - the third to do so in the past six months after Aaron Hickey and Keane Lewis-Potter.
Brentford declared it as a "club-record undisclosed fee" but reports suggest that it could reach up to in the region of £22 million.
A long-term target of the Bees after failing to secure his signature in the summer, club Director of Football Phil Giles was delighted to have signed the 21-year-old.
"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," he told the club website.
“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."
Who is Kevin Schade?
Schade is a German youth international of Nigerian descent that has represented his nation of birth at Under-18, Under-19, Under-20, and Under-21 levels.
Born on the outskirts of Berlin in the city of Potsdam, a place known as a summer residence for the former King of Prussia, Frederick the Great, Schade made the switch to Freiburg from east German club Energie Cottbus at the age of 16.
He made quick progress through the club's academy before being handed his Freiburg II debut by Christian Preußer as a substitute in their 2-0 defeat to Bahlinger SC in July 2020 when he was 17.
Schade was used across Preußer's front three throughout the 2020/21 season and was an important component in winning the Regionalliga Südwest title, bagging eight goals and five assists in 26 appearances, despite missing 11 matches through injury.
He began the following campaign with Freiburg II, but a two-goal display in a 5-2 defeat to Borussia Dortmund II convinced first-team head coach Christian Streich to award him his debut from the bench in their 2-1 win over Dortmund.
2021/22 was proving to be a breakout campaign for Schade as he made a handful of starts and was a weapon from the bench, scoring five and assisting two in 25 appearances, including strikes against Borussia Mönchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen.
However, an abdominal strain in March brought an abrupt end to the season and he missed out on Freiburg finishing in a Europa League spot and reaching its first-ever DFB Pokal final, which ended in a penalty shoot-out defeat to first-time winners RB Leipzig.
The then 20-year-old's absence stretched to 19 matches between March and September, hampering Brentford's approach for the German-Nigerian in the summer, and he has had a bit-part role this season since his return, with a mere 295 minutes from 12 appearances and a contribution of two goals and an assist.
What does he offer and where will he fit in?
The German's arrival in west London has sparked discussion surrounding his role within Thomas Frank's system and who he will replace.
Some suggest that this is the club preparing for an Ivan Toney suspension.
For those that are unaware, the Bees' top scorer this season, with 13 in 18 appearances in all competitions, is alleged to have breached the Football Association's betting laws on 262 occasions between February 2017 and January 2019. He is yet to be proven guilty and remains eligible for selection until so if he is.
The club will have a plan in mind should the 26-year-old be handed a suspension, and Schade is possibly an option given his versatility in attack and experience as a centre-forward.
"He can play anywhere across our front three positions," Thomas Frank told the club website.
"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 defences."
In a worst-case scenario that Toney is suspended, Schade will be able to fill the void while offering a different dynamic.
He'll be able to provide, as described by Thomas Frank, a "very good" aerial presence that Toney has done so, but instead of dropping deep to dictate play, he'll be an option to maximise Brentford's threat in a counter-attack with his dribbling, incredible pace, and willingness to strike with either foot.
His goal-scoring exploits are below par in comparison, but it is an attribute that he has shown glimpses of high quality with Freiburg and Germany's Under-21s, the latter of whom he has five goals in six appearances, and one that can be honed.
Brentford are blessed with some great attacking partners with the aforementioned Lewis-Potter, Yoane Wissa, Bryan Mbeumo and Mikkel Damsgaard. Schade offers additional height, standing at six foot, and will pose an additional threat from crosses, particularly at the back post, and set-pieces.
The nature of this transfer makes it high risk, given that he has never had a sustained place in Freiburg's first team and his injury record, but it's a sign of how high the club rates him.
If there is one thing we can rely on in life, it's Brentford's recruitment.