RB Leipzig are nearing an agreement to sign Hoffenheim striker Fisnik Asllani, beating competition from several high-profile clubs, including Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund, in one of the Bundesliga’s most notable summer transfer deals.
Hoffenheim have confirmed that Asllani, 23, will not join the squad’s pre-season training camp in Seefeld, Austria. His absence has increased speculation that the Kosovo international is preparing to leave the club in the coming days.
German newspaper Bild reports that a move to RB Leipzig is now close to completion and could be formally concluded while the club is at camp. The remaining negotiations are understood to centre on final details of the player’s salary with his representatives.
Asllani was also left out of Hoffenheim’s most recent friendly matches before the start of the new season, as talks over his future continued. The striker had attracted interest from a number of leading clubs, with Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund among the most prominent suitors.
RB Leipzig are currently the team best placed to secure his signature, although the transfer has not yet been completed. The club have so far refrained from activating the €30m release clause in Asllani’s contract, which has delayed an official announcement.
The hesitation is not solely linked to the financial commitment. Leipzig must also consider the balance of their squad and the number of players already available in Asllani’s position.
The club currently have Romulo, 24, Konrad Harder, 21, and 17-year-old prospect Samba Konate as options in the same area of the team. Leipzig are therefore not expected to proceed definitively with the deal unless one of those players is close to leaving.
That possible departure would create room in the squad for Asllani and allow the club to complete the move without increasing competition for places beyond what is considered manageable.
For Hoffenheim, losing Asllani would represent a sporting blow. However, the club are not expected to be significantly disrupted by his departure because they have already strengthened their squad with several important additions during the current transfer window.
Hoffenheim have signed 17-year-old Belgian defender Nathan De Cat, while Austrian forward Patrick Wimmer, 25, has also joined the club. Those recruits have helped the side move closer to completing its squad, with around four weeks still remaining before the summer transfer window closes.
Asllani’s likely move would add another major development to a transfer market in which Leipzig have emerged ahead of better-known competition for a forward who had also been monitored by Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund. The deal is now dependent on final contractual details and the movement of at least one existing Leipzig attacking option.
