Kevin Wimmer has revealed that he hopes to depart Stoke City permanently this summer after becoming at outcast at the Bet365 Stadium.
The Austrian centre-back became Stoke's record signing in an £18 million deal back in August 2017 when he swapped Tottenham Hotspur for the Potters, having played just 15 times in the league for Spurs.
Wimmer played 17 times in the Premier League in his first season for the club, but when Mark Hughes was sacked and replaced by Paul Lambert it all went downhill.
With multiple Stoke managers not seeing a future for Wimmer, he's spent time out on loan in the previous two seasons with Wolfsburg in Germany and Belgian side Royal Mouscron - with neither team opting to sign him permanently.
And on transfer deadline day this past February, Wimmer took a drop in standards even further when signing for second tier German side Karlsruhe on loan until the end of the season.
Wimmer hasn't played a game for Stoke since January 2018 and that looks set to be his last one, with the 28-year-old eyeing a summer exit from the Staffordshire side even though his contract isn't up until 2022.
Speaking to football.london, Wimmer has clarified his situation at the Potters and has confirmed that he definitely wants out before his contract expires.
"I have one more year left at Stoke from summer on, so hopefully we can sort something out before," Wimmer said, per football.london.
"It's always difficult when you come during the season but I feel very good here (at Karlsruhe), the team is good, the manager and everything suits me well.
"For me it would be nice if I could stay after this season one or maybe two more years here.
"First of all the question is if I can get out of my contract or something at Stoke and what that line is.
"It's my last year at Stoke next summer. Hopefully, for me, it would be nice that I don't have to go back to Stoke anymore and I can stay here or something like this would be very good and hopefully it can work out."
The Verdict
If the two parties can come to some sort of agreement then it would be best for everyone if Wimmer could get out of Stoke this summer.
Wimmer will still be carrying a Premier League salary after signing a five-year deal, and this transfer will go down as a massive flop in the Potters' history books.
If they can come to some sort of financial settlement so Karlsruhe can take the defender permanently on a much lesser wage, then Stoke get an unwanted big-money name off their wage bill and Wimmer gets his happiness back - it makes a whole lot of sense.