Hamburg agree Sebastiaan Bornauw loan deal with Leeds United

Hamburger SV have reportedly reached an agreement with Leeds United to sign Sebastiaan Bornauw on loan, bringing the Belgian defender closer to a return to the Bundesliga.

Sky Germany reports that the deal will include an option for Hamburg to make the move permanent, with the purchase clause understood to be worth around €4 million to €5 million. Bornauw is expected to undergo a medical before the transfer can be completed.

The agreement represents progress from earlier talks between the clubs, with Hamburg moving to strengthen their defensive options ahead of the new Bundesliga campaign. No official announcement has yet been made by either club.

Bornauw joined Leeds from Wolfsburg in the summer of 2025, signing a four-year contract at Elland Road. The 27-year-old now appears set to leave after one season in England, although the move remains subject to the remaining formalities.

A switch to Hamburg would take Bornauw back to familiar territory. He previously spent six seasons in German football, first with 1. FC Köln and then Wolfsburg, establishing himself as a physically strong centre-back with extensive Bundesliga experience.

Hamburg’s preference for an initial loan limits the immediate financial commitment while retaining the possibility of a permanent deal next summer. The reported agreement also offers Bornauw an opportunity to return to a league where he has spent the majority of his senior career.

For now, however, the transfer should not be treated as complete. Bornauw remains a Leeds player and the move still requires the medical and final paperwork before either club can formally confirm his return to Germany.