RB Leipzig land Benjamin Sesko's replacement with €25m agreement struck for Goztepe striker

RB Leipzig have secured their new No.9 after reaching an agreement with Turkish club Goztepe to sign Romulo in a deal worth €25m (£22m/$29m), as reported by Fabrizio Romano. The package includes a €20m fixed fee, €5m in add-ons and a sell-on clause. The Bundesliga club had been in talks with Goztepe for some time, with Romulo always at the top of their list to replace Sesko following his £74m (€85m/$100m) transfer.

Romulo has been a standout in Turkey, scoring 17 goals and providing 10 assists in 33 appearances last season across all competitions. He first joined Goztepe on loan from Athletico Paranaense before making the move permanent in early 2025. The club will look to register the Brazilian in time for Saturday’s DFB-Pokal clash against Sandhausen, but if that is not possible, he is expected to be available for next Friday’s Bundesliga opener against Bayern Munich.

Benjamin Sesko is the second most expensive sale in RB Leipzig’s history after Josko Gvardiol, who joined Manchester City in a reported €90m deal in 2023. The German club has been one of the biggest exporters to the Premier League in recent years, with Timo Werner (Chelsea), Naby Keita (Liverpool), Christopher Nkunku (Chelsea), and Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool) among the other major names to make the big-money move from Leipzig to England.

Amid the sales, Leipzig continue to rebuild, with the club also pursuing Fabio Silva and Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott as they brace for the possible departure of Xavi Simons, who is attracting serious attention from Premier League clubs. The Bundesliga club finished seventh this season and will not play European football, so it will aim to bounce back, and Romulo’s arrival is seen as a key step in that process.