RB Leipzig enter the new season with a significant gap in their squad and a transfer window that has repeatedly refused to go their way. The club's pursuit of attacking reinforcements has been the defining story of their summer, and the latest blow came when Said El Mala signed a contract extension with 1. FC Köln through 2031, ending Leipzig's reported pursuit of the 19-year-old. Leipzig had been prepared to break their own internal transfer fee limit of 50 million euros, with reports of a 60 million euro package being discussed, reflecting just how urgently new head coach Martín Demichelis is demanding quality additions to his forward line.

The need is rooted in the departure of Yan Diomande to Real Madrid for a reported fee of up to 140 million euros. Leipzig's first attempt to replace him, a deal for Hoffenheim's Fisnik Asllani, collapsed when the player failed his medical. A late move for VfB Stuttgart-bound Dzenan Pejcinovic also came to nothing. Reports have linked the club to Christopher Nkunku, currently frozen out at AC Milan, and Diego Moreira of Racing Strasbourg, though a fee agreement with Strasbourg remains elusive.

On the pitch, Leipzig lost 3-1 to Bayern Munich in the Telekom Cup friendly on August 15, a result that offered limited preparation confidence. The Bundesliga season has yet to begin, with Leipzig sitting without a point played. Their competitive campaign opens on August 22 with a DFB-Pokal first-round trip to Eintracht Trier, a fixture Demichelis will want to use to build momentum before the league gets underway.