According to sources close to the player, Hamburg’s Dutch captain Rafael van der Vaart will leave the club at the end of the next season.“HSV will not be able to hold on to Rafael beyond next season” says van der Vaart’s fellow countryman and friend Joris Mathijsen.
Mathijsen, a team mate at Hamburg and a close friend, has urged the clubÂ’s management to start the search for a replacement.
“He is a player who is very important to the team. If Rafael has another good season and has a good European Championship, then I think he will be off.”
Although van der Vaart is under contract at Hamburg until 2010, if the club wish to get the market value for the player (€15 million) then they will have to release him at the end of the coming campaign.
In his contract the midfielder has a clause that guarantees that he would be able to leave for €1 million in 2009.
Club chairman Dieter Hoffmann and Sports director Dietmar Beiersdorfer have for the past few weeks been endeavouring to get van der Vaart to commit to a contract extension. However the player's advisor Siren Lerby has indicated this is not an option.
The idea of the club buying the early release clause back has also been suggested. The club are also prepared to increase the Dutchman’s wages from €2 million per year to €3.5 million.
Juventus were linked with a move for van der Vaart earlier in the summer but nothing came of it.
However they and many other top clubs will surely be sniffing around at the end of the season as the pressure mounts for Hamburg to cash-in on their star player.
