When RB Leipzig starts preparing for the new season on Monday, it is still fairly unclear what the full face of the team will look like at the start of the Bundesliga in a good six weeks. One thing is certain: More newcomers are absolutely necessary – even if RB may have to deviate from its transfer philosophy.
It is a first in RB Leipzig’s Bundesliga history: the first training session in preparation for the new season is closed to the public. And when coach Marco Rose is asked to return to the academy grounds for the first time this Monday (July 10th, 2023), he will be dealing with a very manageable number of players. 18 kickers are missing – they are the well-known ones. Rose had given the RB internationals, who were still on international duty after the end of last season, an extra week of vacation. So it’s no wonder that fans aren’t present.
First new arrivals at training start
After all, three of the five newcomers to date have already completed the medical performance tests at the weekend and will be on the pitch on Monday. Fabio Carvalho (Liverpool FC), Benjamin Sesko (RB Salzburg) and goalkeeper Leopold Zingerle (SC Paderborn) have been there from the first day of the pre-season. Also Angelino appeared at the weekend for the obligatory examinations. However, the Spaniard’s return to Leipzig will only be short-lived. Because even after his loan to TSG Hoffenheim, there will be no place for the offensive player at RB in the future. A move to Galatasaray Istanbul is in the air, but both parties are said to be far apart when it comes to the amount of the transfer fee.
Negotiations with desired players falter
Nevertheless, an Angelino departure is more than likely. It would be the tenth this summer, which inevitably goes hand in hand with the question: when will there be more newcomers? What is certain is that the face of the team will change in almost all parts. Money for signings is always there. But that doesn’t make things easier for RB sports director Max Eberl. With Lois Openda (RC Lens) and Lutsharel Geertruida (Feyernoord Rotterdam) have already been identified as two ideal players. However, the negotiations have been dragging on for weeks. A first offer for striker Openda was 30 million euros. According to information from kickers it is said to have risen to 43 million euros in the meantime. The prices are also skyrocketing because it is well known that RB through the transfers of Christopher Nkunku and Dominik Szoboszlai took in around 100 million euros.
Lois Openda is considered a dream player at RB Leipzig. But the negotiations are dragging on.
Transfer fees are skyrocketing
The situation is similar with Geertruida. RB initially offered 20 million euros for the defensive player. Rotterdam is now charging twice as much. Both Openda and Geetruida would be – as of now – record newcomers. But even if both players signed, the gaps in the squad would not be closed by a long shot. There is still a need, especially on the defensive. There make progress with national players Marcel Halstenberg (to Hannover 96) and defense chief Josko Gvardiol (to Manchester City) the next well-known departures.
A candidate for central defense would be Olympique Lyon’s Castello Lukeba. According to the French “L’Equipe” there is already a verbal agreement between the two clubs for a transfer fee of 32 million euros – that’s also a handsome amount of money for a 20-year-old. However, an official offer has not yet been received. In addition, defensive talent El Chadaille Bitshiabu from Paris Saint-Germain is said to have already been to Leipzig to get a first impression of his possible new employer. An agreement here too? none.
Breaks RB with your own transfer philosophy?
until Point game start in the Bundesliga on 19./20. August at Bayer 04 Leverkusen there is still a lot of time. By July 20th, one or the other construction site should have been fixed. Then RB travels to the training camp in South Tyrol, where the first test matches are also the first location determinations. Then, if possible, with more new faces.
It remains to be seen how much money Eberl will spend to solve his personnel puzzle. If he continues to follow the club’s transfer philosophy – namely to sign young, viable players for comparatively little money in order to then sell them at a decent profit – there is a risk that the biggest gaps in the squad will not be sufficiently patched at the start of the new season. If, on the other hand, he responds to the sometimes horrendous demands of the other clubs in order to bring the desired players to Leipzig, one would break one’s own scheme and at the same time submit to the applicable mechanisms of the market. Newcomers beyond 30 million euros, which are also subject to high expectations, would then no longer be uncommon.
jsc/dpa
