Roma midfielder Neil El Aynaoui has completed a loan move to RB Leipzig, with the German club holding an option to buy the Morocco international at the end of the season in a deal understood to be worth about €30m-€32m in total.
The transfer was in doubt late in the window after French reports suggested negotiations over personal terms had hit difficulties. El Aynaoui had already travelled for his medical examinations when the issue emerged, raising the possibility that the move could collapse.
However, the outstanding points were resolved and the 24-year-old signed his contract with RB Leipzig on the evening of the agreement.
RB Leipzig are believed to have paid approximately €4m for the loan. Their option to make the transfer permanent is reportedly valued at a further €25m-€28m, including potential add-ons.
The move comes only a year after El Aynaoui joined Roma from RC Lens for €23.5m, plus a percentage of a future sell-on fee. Despite that significant investment, the midfielder found it difficult to establish himself as a regular in the Roma side.
He leaves the Italian club having scored two goals in 35 competitive appearances in the Giallorossi jersey.
El Aynaoui’s departure was part of an eventful final day for Roma, who had also hoped to sign Jamie Leweling from VfB Stuttgart. The proposed transfer was expected to cost €35m, but negotiations continued for too long and the clubs were unable to reach an agreement before the window closed.
Roma also rejected an approach from Chelsea for Manu Kone. Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini opposed the sale and vetoed the possibility of the midfielder leaving.
The loan gives El Aynaoui the opportunity to seek more regular first-team football at RB Leipzig after a single season in which his involvement at Roma remained limited. The German club, meanwhile, have secured the option to assess the player over the course of the campaign before deciding whether to complete a permanent transfer.
The overall package could eventually bring Roma a fee of up to €32m, depending on the conditions attached to the option and the add-ons. For now, though, El Aynaoui’s immediate future lies in the Bundesliga, with his move to RB Leipzig formally completed after the late negotiations threatened to derail it.
