Surprise transfer after brutal demotion: are RB Leipzig signing a discarded former Germany international?

RB Leipzig are reportedly interested in a short-term move for Robert Andrich, who has fallen out of favour at Bayer Leverkusen.

According to Sky, there has been "no direct approach yet" from the Saxony club. After the departure of title-winning captain Lukas Hradecky, Andrich took over the captain's armband at Leverkusen last season, but new coach Carles Martinez has now stripped him of it. That is an obvious sign the Spaniard is no longer relying on the 31-year-old defensive midfielder. Martinez has appointed Edmond Tapsoba as the new captain.

Speaking recently about the delicate situation surrounding Andrich in Leverkusen, Martinez said: "At the moment, it is indeed the case that he is initially playing more of a secondary role in midfield in this position. He deserves to know that," A transfer therefore appears likely, with Bayer unlikely to stand in the veteran's way. According to the report, Leipzig and their new coach Martin Demichelis have identified a need in central midfield. With only days left in the transfer window, a move could still happen.

Under Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann, Andrich was still a key figure in central midfield alongside Toni Kroos at Euro 2024 in Germany. Yet the DFB coach did not nominate him for the World Cup this summer because Andrich only nailed down a regular place as a centre-back last season and made some consequential mistakes in that position.

Since joining Leverkusen from Union Berlin in 2021, the 31-year-old has made a total of 197 Bundesliga appearances in his career, scoring 20 goals and providing 13 assists. He has played 19 times for the Germany team since making his debut in November 2023.