Man City's Angelino set to join RB Leipzig in £16m deal after triggering purchase clause

Jonathan Smith

Man City's Angelino set to join RB Leipzig in £16m deal after triggering purchase clause image

Manchester City defender Angelino is set to complete a permanent move to RB Leipzig on a four-and-a-half year deal after the club triggered an €18 million (£16m/$21m) obligation to buy.

The Spaniard joined the Bundesliga club on a season-long loan in September with an appearance-based obligation-to-purchase clause.

Angelino had to appear in 12 matches through the season, with five of those in the second half of the campaign, and he passed that figure on Friday night when he started the Bundesliga clash against Augsburg.

Why is he leaving City?

Angelino first joined City as a 16-year-old from Deportivo La Coruna and impressed as he worked his way through the academy ranks.

But the left-back joined PSV on a permanent move in 2018 after loan spells with New York City FC, Girona and Mallorca.

City exercised a buyback clause after he starred for the Dutch side but he made just six appearances under Pep Guardiola before joining Leipzig on loan last January and again at the start of this season.

What’s been said?

"I have that thorn of why I did not play more or I did not quite fit in [at City]. But that helped me get here, meet the coach, the group, and reach the semis in the Champions League,” Angelino said in November.

"If I'm honest, I'm here for [head coach Julian] Nagelsmann. I signed again for him. I was very happy with him, the way he played, everything, everything he transmits, the tactics, fits me perfectly. He's the reason I'm here. Obviously, the relationship with colleagues is also very good.

"Something came out of interest [from Barcelona], but Leipzig pulled a lot for me to come back and in my head, I wanted to be calm and continue enjoying football like I was doing in recent months and stay there."

The big picture

Angelino’s move to Leipzig was always going to go through because of the way the 24-year-old has become such a key part of Nagelsman’s plans.

The 24-year-old has started all but one of Leipzig’s 21 Bundesliga matches as well as all of their Champions League group-stage games.

Coming through the ranks as a left-back, Angelino has thrived higher up the pitch as a wing-back under the German coach and has even been used as a midfielder.

Further reading

Jonathan Smith

Jonathan Smith Photo

Jonathan Smith is Goal's Manchester City correspondent, covering the club home, away and abroad. He joined Goal in August 2019 after three years in the same role for ESPN and having previously spent more than four years on the sports desk at the Manchester Evening News. Jonathan has become a trusted and respected journalist on the club - regularly appearing on media outlets such as Love Sport radio, beIN Sports, Esporte Interativo, Premier League Productions as well as the club's own media site and City podcasts such as Blue Moon.