Kicker reports that VfL Wolfsburg have signed French right back Saël Kumbedi on a permanent basis. The 20-year-old switches to the Lower Saxon Bundesliga outfit via an automatic purchase clause embedded in his loan deal. As reported by Get German Football news this past autumn, Kumbedi’s transfer fee amounts to €6m. An additional €2m in performance based bonuses could flow into Ligue 1 club Lyon’s coffers as well.
Kumbedi initially struggled to establish himself at Germany’s green company team due to form issues and language barriers. He didn’t make his debut for Wolfsburg until a 23-minute relief shift on matchday seven. After finally making his first appearance, however, matters quickly got rolling. Kumbedi has featured in the starting XI on every matchday since.
In five consecutive starts for the Autostädter, Kumbedi has played the full 90 minutes on three occasions. In each one of these matches, he’s managed to register an assist. Kicker reports that five appearances were sufficient to trigger the France U21 international’s purchase clause. Official confirmation from the German club is still pending
Kumbedi’s three league assists constitute a bright spot for troubled Wolfsburg. The fact that right back Kilian Fischer remains out injured means that Kumbedi has an excellent chance to establish a permanent hold on the starting right back slot.
