RB Leipzig sign Neil El Aynaoui from Roma on season-long loan

RB Leipzig have announced the signing of Moroccan midfielder Neil El Aynaoui from Roma on a one-season loan, with an option to make the move permanent, before the summer transfer window closes.

El Aynaoui will wear the number 10 shirt at the German club after completing his move from Roma. The deal gives RB Leipzig the opportunity to sign him permanently at the end of the loan period, although the option is not compulsory.

Transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano reported that the agreement includes a purchase clause worth €25m. RB Leipzig will therefore have the right to complete a permanent transfer for that fee, but the German club will not be required to activate the clause when the season-long loan ends.

The arrival of El Aynaoui forms part of RB Leipzig’s efforts to strengthen their squad during the current transfer window. The club had already reached an agreement to sign Marc Guiu from Chelsea in a deal worth €17m.

El Aynaoui joined Roma from French club Lens at the beginning of last season. During his time with the Italian side, the Morocco international made 35 appearances, scoring two goals and providing two assists.

The midfielder now moves to Germany with the responsibility of wearing one of RB Leipzig’s most prominent shirt numbers. His temporary transfer gives the club the chance to assess his performances over the course of the season before deciding whether to make the move permanent.

For Roma, the deal allows El Aynaoui to continue his development away from the club while retaining the possibility of a substantial transfer fee if RB Leipzig choose to exercise the purchase option. The amount reported by Romano is €25m, but there is no obligation for Leipzig to pay that figure at the end of the loan.

RB Leipzig’s agreement for Guiu and the signing of El Aynaoui underline the club’s activity in the final stages of the summer market. Guiu’s move from Chelsea is valued at €17m, while El Aynaoui arrives initially on loan from Roma.

The Moroccan midfielder’s previous campaign included 35 appearances for Roma, in which he contributed two goals and two assists. He will now begin a new chapter in Germany, with the number 10 shirt assigned to him at his new club and RB Leipzig holding the option to determine his longer-term future.