Ji-soo Kim is likely to return brentford This summer if 1. FC Kaiserslautern does not gain promotion to the Bundesliga.
football transfer report The 21-year-old centre-back is likely to return to the Bees, but his future beyond that is uncertain.
brentford loan system
The website reports that the loan deal between Brentford and 1. FC Kaiserslautern for Ji-soo Kim includes an obligation for the German side to purchase a centre-back.
However, this obligation is dependent on promotion to the Bundesliga. However, the 2. Bundesliga side has no such option to buy if they are not promoted this season.
Given that they are currently seventh in the table and 15 points behind leaders Schalke after 30 games, promotion is very unlikely to happen. They are also 12 points behind second-placed Paderborn and nine behind third-placed Elversberg.
Thus, the clause for Ji-soo Kim will not be activated and everything 'points strongly towards a separation'. What happens after that point remains to be seen.
Brentford contract until 2027
Ji-soo Kim's current deal with Brentford only lasts until 2027. This means a decision has to be made about his future this summer.
If he is not in Brentford's plans a permanent sale is a possibility. They could also loan him out again, but he would have to sign a new deal at the club before that could happen. The FT speculates that his continuation in Keith Andrews's team as an option has not yet been ruled out.
All options are reportedly still on the table. What doesn't seem to be happening is a permanent relocation of 1. FC Kaiserslautern. Their loan provision is only valid if they are promoted, and that will not happen.
So, it appears that the South Korean will be moving back to London this summer. What happens from that point forward has not yet been determined.
