David Raum’s strange situation: DFB exit under Jürgen Klopp – and departure from RB Leipzig in the winter?

David Raum has long since lost his starting place in the Germany team. For now, Jürgen Klopp has left him out of the squad altogether. The RB Leipzig captain's future at his club is reportedly in doubt, too.

At the disastrous 2022 World Cup, Raum was an undisputed starter. He fought his way back ahead of Maximilian Mittelstädt to reclaim his place for the knockout stage of the home European Championship in 2024, then remained an automatic selection under Julian Nagelsmann during World Cup qualifying. Nathaniel Brown finally displaced him as the established first choice on the left at the finals.

Raum's gradual decline in the Germany team has continued under Nagelsmann's successor Jürgen Klopp. The new coach left him out of his reduced 24-man squad for the upcoming Nations League matches against Serbia and the Netherlands in mid-November.

According to Bild, Klopp criticised Raum's defensive work in a phone call explaining his omission and preferred Brown and Mittelstädt to the 28-year-old. It is the first time in more than three years that Raum has missed out on the national-team squad for purely sporting reasons. In October 2024, a persistent ankle injury kept him out.

Will David Raum leave RB Leipzig as early as the winter?

Even at RB Leipzig, where Raum is captain and still an automatic starter, he is apparently considered expendable. His only absence from the starting line-up came in the 4-0 win over SV Elversberg, when he spent 90 minutes on the bench. More recently, he disappointed in the 6-1 debacle against Bayern Munich, with Michael Olise ruthlessly exposing his shortcomings in pace and defence.

Inside the club, Bild claims, Raum's performances have come under scrutiny. His contract expires next summer, so RB would even let their captain leave in the winter if they received a suitable offer in the low tens of millions.

Observers from Bologna FC reportedly watched Raum in the narrow 3-2 Champions League defeat to Manchester City in midweek. But a move to a side currently ninth in Serie A and not taking part in any European competition is unlikely to appeal to him.

Instead, the set-piece specialist is said to favour a move to the Premier League or to a top club capable of winning titles.

Asked about contract talks with RB Leipzig, Raum recently revealed that the two parties had gone a long time without speaking. Discussions had only "started to get going a little" in October, he told Sky. He stressed that they were not having "intensive discussions", while leaving the door open to a change of scenery.

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Will Hansi Flick bring David Raum to Barcelona?

"I don't know how many more contracts will come my way. I actually feel quite good. I'm still keen to play for a few more years, even though I'm approaching 30 now. (…) And, of course, I'm also at an age where you make sure you consider everything," he explained. "Naturally, I also involve my wife in the discussions: where could we go, or do we stay here?"

Recently, Sport linked Raum with Barcelona, where an opening on the left could arise next summer or even in the winter. Alejandro Balde is now only third choice at left-back under Hansi Flick, behind Joao Cancelo and Xavi Espart. The 22-year-old is consequently seeking a move before the end of the year.

Flick gave Raum his first Germany cap and made him a regular in the national team. A free transfer in the summer would also fit the financially troubled Catalans' transfer pattern. The same goes for Juventus, who are also rather short of cash and, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, have shown interest in Raum. The Old Lady also have excellent relations with the player's camp, it was reported at the end of September.

Despite these setbacks, Raum still appears to have attractive options. A return to the national team remains possible, too. When naming his squad, Klopp stressed that he had not closed the door on Raum or other high-profile omissions, including Karim Adeyemi and Nick Woltemade. "Good heavens, we'd be crazy to close any doors," the Germany coach said of those left out for now.

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