Under £100m and Ready to Go: The Release Clauses Actually Worth Triggering This Summer

There's a peculiar art to identifying which release clauses might actually get triggered in the real world—as opposed to those daft La Liga figures that exist purely in fantasy football. Here's the state of play on genuinely attainable targets with exit routes priced under the century mark.

Between the Sticks

Real Sociedad's Alex Remiro represents a curious case. The Spanish goalkeeper has never ventured beyond La Liga's borders and boasts just a pair of caps for the European champions, yet both Aston Villa and Newcastle have circled. The silver lining? His release clause has tumbled from around £50m to just £10.4m as his contract winds down—a genuine bargain if someone's brave enough to take the plunge.

Porto's Diogo Costa carries rather different baggage. Manchester United and Newcastle have both been mentioned in dispatches regarding the Portuguese stopper, but his £51.9m valuation feels optimistic. Few clubs will stump up the full asking price, and Porto may find themselves with little choice but to negotiate.

The Back Line

Edmond Tapsoba remains a puzzle. Newcastle supposedly tabled a £50m offer for the Bayer Leverkusen centre-back during summer 2025, seemingly unaware—or perhaps deliberately ignoring—that his actual release clause sits at £86.2m. That's a rather significant gap in homework.

Castello Lukeba has attracted a bewildering array of suitors: Liverpool, Spurs, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City have all been dragged into conversation about the RB Leipzig defender. His £68.9m clause suggests Leipzig might entertain negotiations rather than dig in completely, particularly if the right offer materialises.

Sporting's Ousmane Diomande caught the eye of Crystal Palace as a potential Marc Guehi successor, with Leeds subsequently sniffing around. Neither side will fancy paying the full £68.9m for the privilege, mind you.

Osasuna's Enzo Boyomo has earned admirers at Aston Villa and Crystal Palace, having proven instrumental in his club's La Liga survival battles. The centre-half's £21m release clause might seem reasonable for a player with a track record of fighting in the trenches, though his previous one-season stint at Real Valladolid suggests he's not necessarily a long-term solution.

Then there's Kevin Lomonaco, the 23-year-old Sevilla defender whose public declarations about his Premier League fandom—specifically mentioning West Ham as his preferred destination—should have set off alarm bells at every club considering him. West Ham, Crystal Palace, Sevilla, and Wolfsburg have all been linked with the centre-half, whose £16.7m clause suddenly looks less appetising after the Hammers' relegation.

The Engine Room

Sporting moved swiftly to protect their investment in Italian midfielder Issa Doumbia, slapping a £69m release clause onto his five-year contract upon his arrival at the Portuguese outfit.

The Sharp End

Chelsea's transfer machinery appears to have identified something others missed. Samu Aghehowa was initially targeted for around £35m in what amounted to a Conor Gallagher swap deal, before the striker rebranded himself, decamped to Porto, and promptly started playing the kind of football that now attracts £86.3m interest. Newcastle would have fancied him at the right price—just not that one.

Vangelis Pavlidis found himself conspicuously absent from the summer's centre-forward exodus that claimed Hugo Ekitike, Viktor Gyokeres, and Benjamin Sesko. Newcastle baulked at his £86.3m asking price, only to watch him subsequently produce back-to-back 30-goal seasons with Benfica. That's the sort of decision that haunts recruitment departments for years.

Nico Williams represents the eternal Arsenal conundrum. The Athletic Bilbao winger has just penned a new deal through 2035—which is the bad news. The good news? He's retained a £77.6m release clause. Arsenal fans can probably guess which bit they're fixating on.

Rodrigo Mora's journey took a winding path. The Portugal youth international nearly departed for Saudi riches whilst still a teenager at Benfica, but stuck around instead. His patience paid dividends: a new contract with a £60.4m release clause and a league title to show for his faith.

Real Sociedad's Takefusa Kubo represents a gamble at £51.6m, though fitness permitting and form-finding, the outlay would prove justified quickly enough.

Newcastle's transfer search for an Anthony Gordon replacement has apparently pointed toward Victor Munoz. At £34.5m, the attacker might slot into that understudy role—the one currently occupied by Jacob Murphy—rather neatly.