RB Leipzig close to Neil El Aynaoui loan deal from Roma

RB Leipzig are close to signing Neil El Aynaoui from Roma, but the move remains short of completion while the final details and medical are still pending.

The Bundesliga club have reached a verbal agreement with Roma for the Morocco international midfielder, according to Sky Germany. The proposed structure is a paid loan worth €4m, with Leipzig holding an option to buy for a further €25m next summer.

That leaves the deal at an advanced but still conditional stage. The clubs have moved beyond initial talks, but El Aynaoui has not yet completed a medical and neither Roma nor Leipzig have announced the transfer. Until those steps are finished, the operation should be treated as close rather than official.

The move would be a striking turn in El Aynaoui’s Roma spell. The 25-year-old only joined the Italian club from Lens in July 2025, taking the No.8 shirt after arriving as a permanent signing with a growing reputation from Ligue 1. Roma presented him then as a midfielder with more than 130 senior appearances already behind him.

For Leipzig, the attraction is clear. El Aynaoui would add a central midfield option with physical range, European experience and international status at a lower immediate cost than a permanent deal. The loan structure also gives Leipzig room to assess his Bundesliga fit before deciding whether to commit the larger purchase fee.

For Roma, the decision points in the opposite direction. Letting El Aynaoui leave so soon after signing him would suggest a recalibration in midfield, especially with the club still working through late-window movement in several areas of the squad. A loan with a sizeable option also protects future value if Leipzig decide to keep him permanently.

The next step is procedural but important. If El Aynaoui travels, completes his medical and signs the documents, Leipzig will be able to turn an advanced agreement into an official addition. Until then, the news is the agreement in principle — not a completed transfer.