Neil El Aynaoui leaves AS Roma for RB Leipzig in bid to revive club career

Neil El Aynaoui is set to join RB Leipzig from AS Roma on a season-long paid loan with an option to buy understood to be worth €25m, as the Morocco midfielder looks to rediscover the influence he has established with his national team.

The 25-year-old endured an inconsistent first campaign in Italy after making the move from Lens, where he had enjoyed two full seasons in Ligue 1. AS Roma committed to him on a five-year contract and invested about €23m in his arrival, but he was unable to secure a regular place in the starting line-up.

His departure offers El Aynaoui the chance to work in a different environment and compete in a third major European league after spells in France and Italy. It also comes at a significant stage of his development, with the midfielder seeking to reproduce at club level the confidence and authority he shows for Morocco.

El Aynaoui’s start in Rome had appeared encouraging. Two months after his arrival, manager Gian Piero Gasperini said: «Il a enormement progresse et est devenu un joueur essentiel de notre equipe», following a spell that included a decisive Europa League goal against Midtjylland.

However, that early momentum did not lead to a settled role. El Aynaoui made 25 appearances during the season, but was used in a variety of ways, sometimes starting and at other times coming off the bench.

Competition for midfield places proved intense. He faced pressure from Niccolo Pisilli, a product of the club’s academy who has also become an Italy international, as well as captain Bryan Cristante and France international Manu Kone.

The Morocco international’s strongest run came immediately before the Africa Cup of Nations. He appeared to be building momentum and establishing himself more firmly in Gasperini’s plans, but the manager was highly critical of his form after he returned from the tournament, arguing that the competition had interrupted his progress.

From that point onwards, El Aynaoui did not consistently regain the same level of trust or confidence at AS Roma.

Crystal Palace had also been linked with the midfielder, but his next destination will be Saxony. At RB Leipzig, he will join a team where places in midfield will still need to be earned, although the competition may offer a less restrictive route into the side than it did in Rome.

Leipzig’s midfield in their opening match of the season included Rocco Reitz, signed during the summer and already appointed vice-captain, established Austria international Nicolas Seiwald and Ezechiel Banzuzi, the Netherlands international of Congolese origin. All three performed well, with Reitz also getting on the scoresheet.

That means El Aynaoui will have to make an immediate impression if he is to claim a regular role. Yet Leipzig’s style and the qualities required in its midfield could suit him, particularly his ability to cover ground, play with intensity and make forward runs.

His position with Morocco is considerably clearer. With the Atlas Lions, El Aynaoui has gradually become an important player, offering energy, personality and the ability to support attacks. He enjoys the confidence of the national set-up and has responsibilities that allow him to express those strengths fully.

The central challenge at Leipzig will be to build the same continuity in a club side. This move could become a turning point in his career: he may establish himself as a senior figure at another major European club, or continue to experience promising spells without securing a permanent place.

El Aynaoui’s task is now to make his performances for RB Leipzig match the level he has already shown in Morocco.