Elmas before transfer to RB Leipzig – Napoli boss: “He’s already sold”

More expensive than Nkunku

Updated on 12/24/23 at 2:45 p.m. – first version published on 12/22/23 at 9:30 a.m

Napoli’s Eljif Elmas will most likely be a RB Leipzig player from January 1st. Club boss Aurelio de Laurentiis told “Corriere dello Sport“: “Elmas has already been sold”. In the past few days, among others, reported Fabrizio Romano and “The Athletic“ about negotiations between the clubs to bring the North Macedonian midfielder to Saxony. A transfer fee of 25 million euros was discussed – this sum would make him the world’s second most expensive winter transfer in 2024. “Corriere dello Sport” now reports 20 million plus 5 million euros in bonuses.

Update: According to “Sky” reporter Philipp Hinze, Elmas signed his contract with RB on Saturday in Leipzig. However, the commitment will only be announced after the Christmas holidays because only then will the final formalities between the clubs be completed.

“He’s someone who always wants to play and he didn’t understand that you’re still considered a regular if you don’t play 90 minutes,” said de Laurentiis. Elmas moved from Fenerbahce to the reigning Serie A champions for 16.2 million euros in 2019 and has since moved between the bench and starting eleven, but was almost always used. In 189 games he was directly involved in 30 goals.

Elmas will be Leipzig’s first winter signing in 2024 and the rumored transfer fee (including bonuses) would make him the eighth most expensive purchase in the club’s young history and therefore more expensive than, for example, Christopher Nkunku or Timo Werner in their two changes. The departures so far include Emil Forsberg, who is leaving the club after nine years for the New York Red Bulls.

Arrivals from Serie A are rare for the “Red Bulls” and when they do, they are on loan: for example with Patrik Schick in the 2019/20 season, who came from AS Roma for a fee of 3.5 million euros. A season later, Justin Kluivert was also brought in from Roma – in 2014/15 it was Ante Rebic, who came on loan from Florence. As the second division promoted at the time, Leipzig signed Marvin Compper, also from Florence.

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