First Elmas offer from Napoli is loan with option to buy

Napoli had decided to wait until this week to make their bid for RB Leipzig midfielder Eljif Elmas and, as Football Italia had exclusively reported, it’s a loan with option to buy for a total €13-15m.

We had stated on August 14 that the Partenopei were preparing a special reunion with the North Macedonia international, who had also been in talks for a return to Torino after spending the last six months of the season there on loan.

Elmas eager for special return to Napoli

That is all now confirmed, as Napoli have plunged into the thick of these negotiations and are putting forward the first formal offer to RB Leipzig.

Elmas is valued at €13-15m by his current club, and the idea is to get him on a paid loan with an option to buy at the end of the season.

Naturally, if there are two or more options, his preference would be for a return to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Turning 26 next month, he remains a fan favourite with Napoli after wearing their jersey from 2019 to January 2024, scoring 19 goals and providing 11 assists in 189 competitive appearances for the club.