RB Leipzig have announced that they have completed the signing of striker Loïs Openda from RC Lens
The deal for the 23-year-old is reportedly worth €45m which makes Openda Leipzig’s most expensive signing ever as he overtakes the €36m paid for Dominik Szoboszlai in 2021. Openda also signs a contract at Leipzig until 2028.
On his move to the Bundesliga, the Belgian said: “I am very happy to be able to play for RB Leipzig from now on. The club is one of the best in the Bundesliga, plays regularly in the Champions League and has recently won the cup twice in a row. It is an incredibly exciting club and I would like to take the next steps in Leipzig. RB Leipzig stands for a clear and offensive game idea that fits me perfectly as a striker. I’m really looking forward to the team, the city and the fans and can’t wait to finally get started. I come to a club with top conditions and to a team that has huge potential. Now I would like to help with my strengths so that we can build on the successes so far and write new success stories.”
Sporting director Max Eberl provided a comment on why the club chose Openda: “Loïs plays very straight and always with a move to the goal, whether as a central striker or over the wings. In addition to his speed, his variability in the end is an enormous quality of him, because he can score goals with the right, left or by head. In addition, with his only 23 years, he still has a lot of development potential and will become even stronger with us in the coming years.”
Openda only spent one year in Ligue 1 having joined Lens from Club Brugge for €11.8m. However, in his sole season in France, the 23-year-old played a key role in Lens’ push for Champions League football. Openda played in every Ligue 1 game for Lens scoring 21 times and assisting four as Lens not only qualified for the Champions League but also finished one point behind PSG.
Where Openda will play at Leipzig is not entirely clear. The Belgian is a different profile of player to the likes of Christopher Nkunku and André Silva who played up front for Leipzig alongside Timo Werner last season. Whether Openda will be used instead of Werner, next to Werner or in another position is not yet known.
This is Leipzig’s sixth signing of the summer. Before the window opened they had agreed deals for Benjamin Seško and Nicolas Seiwald from sister team Red Bull Salzburg. While currently, in the summer, they have completed the signings of Leopold Zingerle (Paderborn), Christoph Baumgartner (Hoffenheim) and Fabio Carvalho (Liverpool).
GGFN | Jack Meenan
