Official | RB Leipzig sign Aston Villa’s Kosta Nedeljković; André Silva joins Werder Bremen | OneFootball

RB Leipzig have had a busy deadline day. Portuguese striker André Silva’s loan to Werder Bremen and the acquisition of Aston Villa prospect Kosta Nedeljkovic were confirmed in quick succession. Kicker reports that Silva’s loan does not contain a purchase option, while Nedeljkovic’s arrangement does give the German Red Bulls an option to buy.

Bremen head coach Ole Werner gains a classic centre-forward for his attack, a loose 3-5-2 tactical construct known not to feature a true number nine since the departure of Niclas Füllkrug. Werner declared himself pleased to have the former Eintracht Frankfurt star. It should be noted that the Hanseaten nevertheless did bring in another out-of-form SGE man, Rafael Santos Borré, in last season to little success.

“I’m looking forward to his presence in the box,” Werner noted in a club statement. “[along with] his solid finishing and movement within the [attacking] spaces.“

“Things haven’t gone as well as he would have liked for André recently,” Bremen personnel chief Peter Niemeyer added. ”That’s why the door opened for us again at short notice. We are absolutely convinced of his quality. André has known the Bundesliga for years.“

Villa purchased six-times-capped Serbian international Nedeljković for €8m from Red Star Belgrade one year ago, but the 19-year-old hasn’t been able to break into the first team. He logged only 341 minutes for the Birmingham-based club in the current season. From Leipzig’s perspective, the signing is a little odd given that Nedeljkovic might find difficulty earning minutes behind fellow new January signing Ridle Baku.

“We wanted to add more depth and versatility to the squad,” sporting director Marcel Schäfer noted in explaining the signing. ”Kosta is the prototype of a wing-back who works the right flank with speed, offensive urgency and a top mentality. He is also strong in duels, good at winning back balls and has a keen understanding of the game. Kosta has a lot of potential and with us he has the opportunity to develop it.“

“I’m very happy to be joining RB Leipzig,” Nedeljkovic himself said. ”Since I first heard about the club, I really wanted to take this opportunity because they consistently focus on young players and give them the chance to develop. 2024 didn’t go well for me, so I’m eager to show what I can do here, get game time, and help the club achieve its goals.”

“He [Nedeljkovic] knows that his next step in his career will be outside this team,” said Villa coach Unai Emery – as quoted by Kicker. “[He needs to] find his rhythm again at another club so that he can then reach his potential again.”

GGFN | Peter Weis