3 weeks ago
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Galatasaray have struck a loan deal with RB Leipzig for French defender El Chadaille Bitshiabu, adding a promising but underutilized center-back to their squad ahead of the new season. The agreement, reached on September 1, includes an option to buy, though financial terms of both the loan fee and the purchase clause remain undisclosed.
Bitshiabu is reportedly en route to Istanbul for a medical examination and contract signing.
From PSG prodigy to Leipzig benchwarmer
A product of Paris Saint-Germain’s academy, he earned senior appearances in Ligue 1 while still a teenager.
Leipzig came calling in July 2023, paying approximately €15 million plus bonuses to bring him to Germany.
Over his time at Leipzig, the 21-year-old has accumulated just 48 total appearances. Last season was particularly thin, with only 14 matches across all competitions, 11 of them in the Bundesliga.
In 2025, the club extended his contract through June 2029 and removed a €40 million release clause that had been part of the original deal.
What Galatasaray gets
Bitshiabu, born on May 16, 2005, won the 2022 UEFA U17 European Championship with France. Bitshiabu reportedly helps Galatasaray fill their U23 foreign quota slot, a regulatory advantage that makes the deal even more attractive from a squad-building perspective.
The bigger picture for all parties
For Bitshiabu himself, he has represented France at U20 and U17 levels, and the 2022 U17 Euros title showed what he can do when he’s playing regularly.
Previous negotiations reportedly involved other interested clubs, including RC Lens and Red Bull Salzburg, Leipzig’s sister club within the Red Bull ecosystem.
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