Reports: Leipzig's lowball bid leaves race for David Raum wide open again
Germany's main sporting tabloid reports that German national team left back David Raum's transfer to RB Leipzig has been held up over the issues with the asking price.
The initially reported on bombshell that Hoffenheim's David Raum appears set for a move to RB Leipzig has thus far not produced any more concrete news. Since Thursday, no reports have emerged suggesting that the 24-year-old is on his way to Saxony for a medical or that the two clubs have agreed on a transfer fee. Raum has been absent from squad training and a recent test fixture against Hellas Verona over the weekend, but this was because of a calf injury.
According to Germany's main sporting tabloid, the reason for this concerns the fact that Leipzig's initial offer came in far below Hoffenheim's reported €30 million-€40 million asking price. If this claim proves true, the "Race for Raum" could be cracked wide open again. The Sinsheim club has absolutely no reason to compromise on their requested transfer fee, given the fact that Raum has an exit clause built into his current contract that would guarantee the TSG €30 million should they opt to sell him next summer.
Germany's preeminent footballing publication, Kicker magazine, writes that this development effectively puts the "Race for Raum" back at square one. If Leipzig don't meet the current asking price, Bayern or Dortmund could sweep back in to pick up the player. A stay in Sinsheim also remains a distinct possibility as die Kraichgauer find themselves thin at the back and are ostensibly in no mood to part company with defenders.