Earlier in July, Sport Bild reported Leipzig's interest in Amiri. The publication has now gone a step further: RB are said to have reached a basic agreement with the 29-year-old. Talks with Mainz also appear to be moving well, with an agreement between the clubs expected soon. The fee would reportedly be between €15 million and €20 million.
Before the transfer can be completed, Sport Bild say one issue still needs to be resolved. Leipzig's squad is currently too big, so they first need to move players on to get the Amiri deal over the line. The leading candidate for a sale is Eljif Elmas, who has spent the past year and a half out on loan, first at Torino, then at Napoli. Leipzig want to sell the midfielder if possible, and Besiktas are reportedly among the interested clubs.
Things look different with Arthur Vermeeren. Leipzig sent the Belgian on loan to Olympique Marseille last season and the original plan was to generate important income from Vermeeren this summer. According to Sport Bild, however, the 21-year-old has hugely impressed the new coach Martin Demichelis during pre-season so far and could now stay after all. That would probably not have any direct impact on the pursuit of Amiri, as Vermeeren is more of a holding midfielder than a No 8. Demichelis is reportedly planning to use two of the latter in future, and he apparently sees Amiri as the perfect addition to first-choice Christoph Baumgartner, who is expected to be out until the end of October with a thigh injury, and Assan Ouedraogo.
Will Nadiem Amiri soon be playing again for a Champions League club?
Conrad Harder is another player Leipzig could move on as they look to trim the squad. Although they only signed the 21-year-old centre-forward from Sporting Lisbon last summer for a €24 million fee, he is considered a candidate to leave after a mixed first season. According to Sport Bild , the issue is this: while Harder does have a market in Europe, he is not necessarily keen to move despite his limited playing time. His contract in Leipzig runs until 2030.
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A move to RB would take Amiri back to a Champions League club after his encouraging development over the previous two and a half years in Mainz. With Leipzig, he would be competing in Europe's premier club competition next season, and at 29 he is also likely to be in line for what is probably his last really big contract. From a sporting point of view, RB could also keep him in the national team's sights more effectively than Mainz.
Nadiem Amiri wants to establish himself in the Germany team under Jürgen Klopp too
Off the bench in the second group game against Ivory Coast (2-1), including a fine assist for Deniz Undav's equaliser, Amiri was one of the few bright spots in Germany's disappointing World Cup. In the last-32 elimination against Paraguay, former coach Julian Nagelsmann only sent him on 10 minutes before the end of extra time, and he could no longer make a difference. He still took responsibility in the penalty shootout and scored.
With his intense style of play, Amiri would not only suit Leipzig, but presumably also the style that the new Germany coach Jürgen Klopp wants to shape in the national team in future. Consistently good performances for a top club like Leipzig would certainly improve Amiri's chances of continuing to establish himself in the Germany team.