Eljif Elmas: RB Leipzig signs new player

The signing of Eljif Elmas was already an anticipation for the summer for Bundesliga club RB Leipzig. This was confirmed by sporting director Rouven Schröder in an interview with the "Mitteldeutsche Zeitung". "Eljif Elmas is just such a player. A transfer like this is actually difficult to implement in the winter. It's very rare for a player of this quality to leave his club in the winter," said the 48-year-old. In addition, there are transfers that are already fixed for next summer but not yet made public.

Elmas was signed for 23 million euros from SSC Napoli. The 24-year-old from North Macedonia is expected to fill the gap left by Emil Forsberg's move to New York. Leipzig have also lost Fabio Carvalho in attacking midfield, whose loan from parent club Liverpool FC ended prematurely.

In general, Schröder considers the winter transfer window to be difficult due to its brevity. "In the summer, the process is rather wave-like with lots of ups and downs, but then it levels off again. The winter transfer market is short and concise, but difficult to play," said the sporting director. The integration phase for new arrivals is short, so it has to be 100 percent right.

The tranquillity of Leipzig helps to convince players. "If you're a footballer, you can only love this location because you can prepare perfectly for the very highest level. Because despite the Champions League, there's a certain tranquillity here," said Schröder. In addition, coach Marco Rose is a bargaining chip.

Schröder initially came to Leipzig to support Max Eberl. Since Eberl's departure, he has been solely responsible for the sport - and feels much more at home in Leipzig than his former boss. "We do a job every day that you can't do if you don't feel comfortable. There's so much speed involved, so much energy is needed. I can make an impact, work and help decide things," said Schröder.