Emmanuel Thomas I DPA, Tuesday, July 18, 2023
LEIPZIG – RB Leipzig have signed teenager El Chadaille Bitshiabu from French champions Paris Saint-Germain, the Bundesliga club said on Tuesday.
Leipzig said that the towering 18-year-old defender Bitshiabu has penned a five-year contract until 2028. The transfer fee has been estimated at around €15 million ($16.8 million), plus add-ons.
Bitshiabu made his first team debut for PSG at age 16 and has played 19 games for the first team. He is also a France U19 international.
“El Chadaille is one of the most exciting young defenders in Europe and we’re proud that he now plays for RB Leipzig,” said Leipzig board member for sport, Max Eberl.
“El Chadaille will get the time he needs to settle in here so that he can slowly start to perform to his best and help us out on the pitch.”
Bitshiabu said: “I’m delighted to now be a part of RB Leipzig. The club has a great reputation in France, partly because of their on-the-pitch success, but also because young players can undergo an incredible development here at the highest level.”
He is the seventh summer signing by the two-time reigning German Cup winners, following Lois Opendo (Lens), Fábio Carvalho (Liverpool), Christoph Baumgartner (Hoffenheim), Leopold Zingerle (Paderborn), Benjamin Sesko and Nicolas Seiwald (both RB Salzburg).
But Leipzig have also lost top players such as Christopher Nkunku (Chelsea), Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool) and Konrad Laimer (Bayern Munich).
Leipzig start the season on August 12 with the German Super Cup against Bayern and their first Bundesliga game is a week later at Bayer Leverkusen.
