After weeks of speculation, indications are now growing that his destination will not be Barcelona or Dortmund, but RB Leipzig.
According to dpa and Welt, Asllani is right at the top of Leipzig’s wish list. Sky had previously reported that there is a basic agreement between the player and RB. The transfer fee is expected to be at least €25 million, with several reports mentioning a release clause in the range of €25 to €29 million. That would make Asllani one of Hoffenheim’s most expensive sales in recent years.
Barcelona as the big dream
For a long time, the race seemed open. Borussia Dortmund were repeatedly mentioned as an obvious Bundesliga option, as BVB were looking for additional attacking solutions. At the same time, FC Barcelona also appeared in the rumours — and that interest made the matter more complicated. Spanish reports recently claimed that Asllani had initially delayed a move to Leipzig because he was still waiting for a concrete signal from Barcelona.
For Barça, Asllani would have been a comparatively affordable solution: young, still developing, already Bundesliga-proven and with strong finishing quality. However, the Catalans are said to have prioritised other striker profiles at the same time. Leipzig apparently used this situation to move the deal back in their direction.
Breakthrough after Elversberg loan
From a sporting perspective, the hype around Asllani is understandable. In the 2024/25 season, he played on loan for SV Elversberg and was one of the most eye-catching attackers in the 2. Bundesliga. Across all competitions, he made 37 appearances for the Saarland club and scored 19 goals.
After returning to Hoffenheim, he made the next statement. In the 2025/26 Bundesliga season, Asllani made 28 league appearances and scored nine goals; across all competitions, he recorded 30 matches and ten goals. There were also several assists and, above all, a significantly increased role in the TSG attack. Asllani was no longer just a penalty-box striker, but a forward who can drift wide, hold up the ball and attack depth.
Austria as part of his career path
From an Austrian perspective, Asllani is no stranger either. In the 2023/24 season, he played on loan for Austria Wien. The Violets brought in the then 21-year-old from Hoffenheim to add more cutting edge to their attack. In Favoriten, Asllani made 16 Bundesliga appearances and scored four goals. His big breakthrough did not quite happen there, but the Austria loan was an important intermediate step: regular professional football, a different environment and first international experience at senior level.
Via Union Berlin to Hoffenheim
Asllani’s career began in Berlin. After spells in the youth teams of BFC Dynamo and Union Berlin, he joined TSG Hoffenheim in 2020. There, he initially played for the second team, later moved into the professional squad and made his Bundesliga debut as early as 2021. His path to becoming a regular was not straightforward, which made the loans to Vienna and Elversberg decisive for his development.
Leipzig as the logical step
For Leipzig, the possible transfer would fit the club’s well-known pattern. RB regularly look for young, dynamic attacking players with resale potential. Asllani brings exactly that profile: 23 years old, Kosovo international, physically robust, flexible in attack and most recently with an impressive scoring record — consistently over several seasons.
For Hoffenheim, the departure, which had already been taking shape for some time, would be a sporting blow but an economically lucrative deal. A striker who was still searching for consistency at Austria two years ago is now on the verge of a transfer package worth close to €30 million. And the fact that Leipzig could beat clubs such as Dortmund or Barcelona to his signature would be a rather prestigious statement.
Daghim arrives as replacement
Speaking of Hoffenheim: sporting director Andreas Schicker has already found Asllani’s replacement in Salzburg. Adam Daghim, who was most recently on loan at relegated Wolfsburg, joins TSG and will cost the Sinsheim club €13 million plus potential future bonuses. The 20-year-old Dane therefore follows his former Wolfsburg teammate Patrick Wimmer to Ilzer’s team.
