Official | RB Leipzig complete signing of Eljif Elmas from Napoli | OneFootball

RB Leipzig have announced that they have completed the signing of North Macedonia international Eljif Elmas from Napoli.

Elmas joins Leipzig for around €25m and signs a contract at the club until 2028. On moving to the Bundesliga side, Elmas said: “Moving to the Bundesliga and joining RB Leipzig is the stuff of dreams for me. The club is known for the special football they play. They like gegenpressing, play with pace and have a strong attack. All of that suits me down to the ground. The team is a cool mix of young talents, who can improve a lot here, and players who’ve experienced and achieved a lot in their long spells at the club. That’s why moving to Leipzig is the right step for me and I’m looking forward to meeting everyone in January. RB Leipzig have established themselves as one of the top teams in the Bundesliga and have become a big name in European football in a very short period of time. When I spoke to Rouven Schröder and Marco Rose, I realised very quickly, I wanted to play for this club. We’ve got a tricky second half of the season. I want to help us stay right in the mix of things at the top of the Bundesliga and potentially cause an upset against Real Madrid in the Champions League.”

The 24-year-old will wear the number six at the club and is likely to be the replacement for Emil Forsberg who is to join Leipzig’s sister club New York Red Bulls in the winter. Leipzig had been interested in future Bayern Munich winger Bryan Zaragoza as the Swedes’ replacement but their Bundesliga rivals beat them to his signature.

The arrival of Elmas will also likely indicate the loan of Fabio Carvalho being cut short as the 21-year-old has failed to break into the Leipzig team.

During his four-year stay in Italy, Elmas was never able to fully establish himself in the Napoli starting 11 and saw most of his appearances coming off of the bench. The North Macedonian international leaves Naples having won the Coppa Italia as well as the Scudetto.

GGFN | Jack Meenan