Report: Raum To Leipzig All But Confirmed!

Despite links to Borussia Dortmund this entire transfer window, David Raum is reported to be heading to RB Leipzig. The move, which has been reported by Fabrizio Romano and confirmed by Florian Plettenberg, looks to be one of the blockbuster transfers in the Bundesliga this season. The 24-year-old left-back will look to reinforce Dominic Tedesco’s cup-winning side as Leipzig looks to challenge both Dortmund and Bayern Munich for silverware this season. If the fee is anywhere near the reported 35 million euros that were touted earlier this season, it will easily be Leipzig’s record transfer. It is also reported that Raum had interest from both Dortmund and Bayern this offseason but Leipzig has made a statement signaling their intentions to compete for the league.

What this move means for Dortmund remains to be seen. It is unsure whether or not Dortmund has an alternative left-back target who would provide competition to Raphaël Guerreiro, whose defensive abilities have been scrutinized this past season, or if they plan on relying on youth players such as Tom Rothe or Prince Aning. Regardless, if the reports of Dortmund’s interest were true, the team now has money to throw around in the transfer market. Whether or not this expenditure would follow the sale of players like Nico Schulz or Manuel Akanji is uncertain.

From a Leipzig perspective, this move is interesting. I would argue that Leipzig's current left-back, Angeliño, is one of the best-attacking full-backs in the league. Angeliño provided 3 goals and 12 assists across 40 games in all competitions last year while David Raum provided 3 goals and 11 assists across 32 games for Hoffenheim. Raum’s defensive numbers are a tad bit better but I am not sure the upgrade warrants the price tag. It is also interesting that Leipzig is willing to spend this much. Their current transfer record is around 27 million euros and that was to fellow Redbull-owned club RB Salzburg. That being said, I would not be surprised if Leipzig pulled some business magic and got Raum for less than rumored.

Let us know what you think about this move! Did Dortmund miss out on Raum? Should we look to sign another left-back? If so, who? Are Leipzig closing the gap on Bayern? Is it spelled left-back, left back, or leftback? I honestly have no clue and it stresses me out.