Leipzig's 10 biggest sales of all time

Tom Weber

• Updated: 6 Aug 2023 09:31 CDT
• 5 min read

RB Leipzig have now sold Josko Gvardiol to Manchester City for a world-record fee for a defender.

As part of the Red Bull empire, Leipzig have access to a dense, worldwide scouting network as well as the ability to just pluck talent from foreign RB teams like Salzburg and New York.

This means that even though Leipzig are not even 15 years old, they have already raked in some ridiculous sums from player sales.

Here, FootballTransfers brings you the top 10 sales that talent factory RB Leipzig have made in their (short) history.

10. Hwang Hee-chan - €16.7m (Wolves, 2022)

Sold in the summer of 2022, the South Korean struggled in the Bundesliga, having been signed from Austrian sister club Salzburg in 2020.

He made 29 appearances for Leipzig, scoring three times and recording four assists. Sold to Wolves after an initial loan spell, Chan scored three Premier League goals in 2022/23.

9. Tyler Adams - €17m (Leeds, 2022)

Another sale made in the summer of 2022, he actually had a successful stint at Leipzig. Tyler Adams joined from Red Bulls' MLS franchise in 2019 and impressed in Leipzig.

Long-term adductor problems meant that he didn't make as many Leipzig appearances as he could have made, but the midfielder still played 103 times in Saxony's largest city before becoming part of Leeds United's failed American revolution.

8. Jean-Kevin Augustin - €21m (Leeds, 2020)

Another Leeds signing and one that will live long in the minds of the club's fans although not for positive reasons. Jean-Kevin Augustin initially joined the then-Championship club on loan with an obligation to buy should they get promoted, which they did.

Leeds, however, refused to honour the clause, claiming that the COVID-19 pandemic had nullified it because the schedule had changed and the club achieved promotion after the date specified in the contract. Long story short, they were ultimately ordered to pay €21m for a player who had only made three appearances, while Augustin ended up signing for Nantes as a free agent.

7. Ibrahima Konate - €40m (Liverpool, 2021)

The next biggest sale was Ibrahima Konate. The Frenchman joined Leipzig in 2017 as a youngster and it took him a while to break into the first team.

By 2021, however, he had built up a solid reputation as one of Europe's best defenders, prompting Liverpool to shell out €40m. Despite showing signs of promise, he is yet to fully live up to his price tag.

6. Dayot Upamecano - €42m (Bayern, 2021)

Konate's centre-back partner Dayot Upamecano also departed Leipzig in the summer of 2021, but he followed Nagelsmann and Sabitzer to Bayern in a deal worth €42m.

Though sometimes error-prone, the Frenchman is a solid defender, who regularly features for the Bavarians as well as the French national team, playing the full 120 minutes in the 2022 World Cup final loss to Argentina.

5. Timo Werner - €53m (Chelsea, 2020)

A striker who is deadly in the Bundesliga despite seemingly being incapable of staying onside, Timo Werner tried his luck in the Premier League after shooting the German top division to bits with Leipzig.

Chelsea parted with €53m to get what was at the time one of the most exciting attackers in Europe, but Werner failed to live up to the billing in England, eventually returning to Leipzig for just €20m in 2022.

4. Naby Keita - €60m (Liverpool, 2018)

Another player who arrived in England with a big reputation but ultimately didn't have the desired impact, Naby Keita left Leipzig as one of the Bundesliga's best midfielders.

He joined Liverpool for €60m in 2018, but injuries and a lack of form meant that the Guinea international spent more time on the sidelines than in Jurgen Klopp's team. At 28, he will now try to resurrect his career at Werder Bremen back in Germany.

MORE: Premier League 2023/24 summer transfers: All the Done Deals

3. Christopher Nkunku - €65m (Chelsea, 2023)

The two previous entries in this list don't make for easy reading if you are a Chelsea fan excited about new signing Christopher Nkunku, but rest assured, there is plenty to get excited about despite the hefty price tag of €65m.

Nkunku has arguably been the Bundesliga's best performer over the last couple of seasons and the Frenchman looks an ideal player for new Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino.

2. Dominik Szoboszlai - €70m (Liverpool, 2023)

Dominik Szoboszlai burst onto the scene as a teenager at Red Bull Salzburg, being rated as one of the best teenage talents in world football.

After a serious injury, it took him time to find his best form after moving to Leipzig in 2021. But with 20 goals over two seasons, the Hungarian showed himself as a potent attacking midfielder. Liverpool's decision to splash out €70m demonstrated their faith in him.

1. Josko Gvardiol - €90m (Man City, 2023)

Josko Gvardiol became the most expensive centre back in football history (in euros) when he joined Man City from Leipzig for €90m in the summer of 2023.

Gvardiol had emerged as arguably the best young defender on the planet in the previous year and had been one of the stars at the 2022 World Cup as Croatia made it all the way to the semi-finals.