What is a release clause in soccer?

A release clause in soccer is a clause written into a player's contract that allows the player to leave the club for a specified fee if certain conditions are met. This fee is set by the club and is usually much higher than the player's market value in order to dissuade other clubs from attempting to buy the player.

Release clauses are often included in contracts to give the player some level of control over their future and to ensure that the club cannot arbitrarily deny them the opportunity to move to another team if they wish to do so.

Release clauses can be triggered by various conditions, such as a specific date being met, a certain offer being made, or the club being relegated. Once the release clause is triggered, the player is free to negotiate with other clubs and leave the current team if they wish to do so.