List of Leipzig’s most expensive signing. Leipzig, also known as RasenBallsport Leipzig, was founded in 2009 and has since progressed through the German leagues’ lower levels to make it to the Bundesliga in 2016. They placed second in the 2016–17 season, earning them a spot in the Champions League for the first time, and in the 2019–20 season, they advanced to the semifinals of the competition.
The German powerhouses have invested a substantial sum of money in some outstanding young players throughout the years. They had many breakout stars, including Naby Keita, Dani Olmo, and Timo Werner. How much money has Leipzig invested in these players throughout time? Who has been their most costly signing to date?
SEASON | MOST EXPENSIVE SIGNING | FEE | TOTAL SPENDINGS |
---|---|---|---|
2022/23 | David Raum | €26M | €59.50M |
2021/22 | Andre Silva | €23M | €107.62M |
2020/21 | Dominik Szoboszlai | €22M | €58M |
2019/20 | Dani Olmo | €29M | €86.50M |
2018/19 | Amadou Haidara | €19M | €65.63M |
2017/18 | Kevin Kampl | €20M | €63.50M |
2016/17 | Naby Keita | €29.75M | €95.95M |
2015/16 | Davie Selke | €8M | €26.10M |
2014/15 | Omer Damari | €7M | €23.35M |
2013/14 | Yussuf Poulsen | €1.55M | €3.08M |
2012/13 | Dominik Kaiser | €600,000 | €680,000 |
2011/12 | Marcus Hoffmann | €150,000 | €250,000 |
2010/11 | Carsten Kammlott | €800,000 | €1M |
2009/10 | None | Nil | Nil |
Total | €591.16M |
*All stats via Transfermarkt
Leipzig’s top 10 most expensive player signings
10 Kevin Kampl €20 million (Bayer Leverkusen 2017):
In the 2017 summer transfer window, Leipzig acquired Kevin Kampl from Bayer Leverkusen for €20 million. Before joining Leverkusen in 2015, Kampl played for Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund. The Slovenian international made over 180 appearances for Leipzig after agreeing to a four-year contract in 2017.
9 Alexander Sorloth €20 million (Crystal Palace 2020):
Alexander Sorloth, a striker from Norway, was acquired by Crystal Palace during the January 2018 transfer window at €9 million. He was loaned to Gent in January of the next year, then to Trabzonspor in August of that same year. Leipzig made a move to acquire him, paying €20 million, in September 2020. He was, however, loaned to Real Sociedad for two seasons in August 2021 after only one season in Germany.
8 Timo Werner €20 million (Chelsea 2022):
Timo Werner was one of Leipzig’s most costly acquisitions on two separate times, with the most recent success occurring in August 2022 when they acquired him back from Chelsea for €20 million. When compared to the expectations placed on him before this trade, Werner’s two seasons at Chelsea included 56 games and 10 goals. The German got off to a good start during his second stint at Leipzig and quickly became a member of their squad.
7 Dominik Szoboszlai €22 million (Salzburg 2020):
Szoboszlai joined Salzburg in 2018, and during three years, made 56 appearances while scoring 16 goals. Due to the attacking midfielder’s performances, Leipzig paid him €22 million to sign with them in December 2020, making him the most expensive Hungarian player in history. For Leipzig, Szoboszlai has made 40 appearances and scored seven goals.
6 Timo Werner €23 million (Stuttgart 2016):
Leipzig recruited Timo Werner, then 20 years old, from Stuttgart in June 2016, putting his name on this list for the second time. The striker who later became one of Europe’s most productive forwards cost the German club €23 million. Werner played in 127 games and scored 78 goals during his four-year initial stint with Leipzig before being acquired by Chelsea in 2020 for a sum of €53 million.
5 Andre Silva €23 million (Eintracht Frankfurt 2021):
Andre Silva, a Portuguese striker, began his senior-level career in 2016 at Porto before moving to Milan in 2017 for a sum of €38 million. The attacker was mostly on loan to Sevilla and Eintracht Frankfurt during his spell with Milan, making only 25 appearances for them. In 2020 summer, the German team decided to recruit him for just €3 million. At Frankfurt, Silva excelled, scoring 28 goals in 32 games in the upcoming season. Leipzig contacted him a year later and bought him for €23 million.
4 Benjamin Sesko €24 million (Salzburg 2023):
Benjamin Sesko, a player from Slovenia, joined Salzburg’s youth program in 2019 and was promoted to the senior team the following year. Sesko has scored nine goals for Salzburg in 38 appearances since making his senior team debut. He was linked to a number of the top clubs in Europe as a result of his performances. Taking advantage of the Slovenian forward’s success at Salzburg, Leipzig declared in August 2022 that he would join them in July 2023 for a cost of €24 million.
3 David Raum €26 million (Hoffenheim 2022):
David Raum played 94 times for Greuther Furth between 2016 and 2021 after graduating from their second-tier Bundesliga program, and then he signed with Hoffenheim as a free agent. Before Leipzig came knocking and offered to pay €26 for his services in the summer of 2022, Raum had just completed one season at Hoffenheim, making 32 appearances and scoring three goals. The club and the German international agreed to a five-year contract.
2 Dani Olmo €29 million (Dinamo Zagreb 2019):
Since his time from 2007 to 2014 as a student at Barcelona’s La Masia academy, Dani Olmo’s name has been increasingly well-known. The Spanish attacking midfielder made 80 appearances and scored 20 goals during his five years with Dinamo Zagreb, where he began his senior career in the summer of 2014. Olmo has made over 60 appearances for the club since Leipzig signed him for €29 million in January 2020 after recognizing his potential.
1 Naby Keita €29.75 million (Salzburg 2016):
Leipzig acquired Guinean midfielder Naby Keita for €29.75 million in the summer of 2016, following his success at Salzburg’s junior level. At Salzburg, Keita was a revelation, and Leipzig came with high expectations. Keita played 58 games throughout his two seasons at Leipzig, from 2016 to 2018. He scored 14 goals and put up some spectacular displays in central midfield, which led to interest from some of the best European clubs. Liverpool won the competition and paid €60 million to acquire him in the summer of 2018.
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