RB Leipzig have confirmed the signing of Rocco Reitz from Borussia Mönchengladbach, with the 23-year-old midfielder joining for a fee of around €20m that could rise to roughly €23m with add-ons. He has signed a contract running until 2031, and the move becomes effective this summer once the Bundesliga season finishes.
Leipzig's sporting director Marcel Schäfer described Reitz as an "absolute top target" for the club's central midfield, calling him "an extremely versatile player who will take up a central role as the connector between our defence and attack." Schäfer also pointed to Reitz's leadership qualities despite his age, having captained Gladbach for much of the season. The signing addresses a specific gap in Leipzig's engine room: the club has already lost Kevin Kampl and expects to see Xaver Schlager depart, leaving a hole in midfield that Reitz is being brought in to fill.
For Mönchengladbach, this is a heavy loss on several levels. Reitz joined the club as a seven-year-old and rose through the youth ranks to make more than 95 competitive appearances, wearing the armband throughout 2025/26 while first-choice captain Tim Kleindienst was out injured. Losing their captain and a graduate of their own academy, in the middle of a relegation fight, is a blow that goes beyond the numbers on the pitch. The transfer fee gives Gladbach funds to reinvest, but replacing his leadership and know-how in a scrap for Bundesliga survival will not be straightforward.
Reitz's form this season backs up Leipzig's interest. He made 31 Bundesliga appearances, contributing four assists, and was a near-ever-present in Gladbach's midfield, racking up over 2,600 minutes with an average match rating around 7.06. He's known for his high-intensity running and distance covered, ranking among the league's leaders in that department, alongside a reputation for composure on the ball and vision to pick out teammates in the final third.
At Leipzig, Reitz is expected to slot into a deeper central role, sitting between defence and attack as Schäfer described, using his engine to cover ground and his passing range to link play. Given his versatility, he could also be used further forward in a box-to-box capacity, but the clearest need at Leipzig is for a ball-carrying, high-running midfielder who can dictate tempo — exactly the profile he's built over the past two seasons as Gladbach's captain.
Reitz himself acknowledged the difficulty of leaving the only club he's known: "I've decided to begin a new chapter in my career this summer... this decision was anything but easy for me." With his departure now confirmed, the focus for Gladbach turns to how they replace his output in midfield, while Leipzig will look to integrate him as a first-team midfield fixture from the start of next season.