Neil El Aynaoui joins RB Leipzig on loan from AS Roma
Moroccan international Neil El Aynaoui, 25, has joined RB Leipzig on loan from AS Roma until the end of the 2026-27 season, with an option to make the move permanent.
RB Leipzig announced on the final day of the summer transfer window that they had signed Moroccan international midfielder Neil El Aynaoui, 25, on loan from AS Roma until the end of the 2026-27 season, with an option to buy should the German club wish to sign him permanently. El Aynaoui will wear the number 21 shirt for his new team.
RB Leipzig's Managing Director for Sport, Marcel Schäfer, said the deal brings in a player known for his "activity, aggressiveness and intensity without the ball," adding that El Aynaoui would bring "dynamism and creativity" to the midfield. For his part, the Moroccan player said he was excited to join the club, noting that Leipzig's style of play, built on "high intensity, dynamism and ambition," suits his qualities, and that he was looking forward to discovering the club and the city and taking on challenges in the Bundesliga, the Champions League and the German Cup.
A Serie A season with Roma
El Aynaoui made 25 Serie A appearances for AS Roma in the 2025-26 season, scoring one goal and providing two assists, before the Italian club opted to loan him out in the closing days of the summer window.
Why it matters
The move strengthens the presence of Moroccan players in the Bundesliga and gives the midfielder a chance to compete in one of Europe's top leagues, one that regularly features in the Champions League. It also forms part of a wider wave of summer departures by Moroccan players to major European clubs, as the national team continues to rely on players plying their trade in leading continental competitions.