RB Leipzig officially announced on Friday that Austrian midfielder Xavier Schlager will leave the club on a free transfer this summer when his contract expires. Reports indicate that Juventus and Roma have both expressed strong interest in him.

Schlager, 28, was born in Linz, Austria's third-largest city, and began his professional career in Flün, a satellite team of Red Bull Salzburg. He then played for Red Bull Salzburg and Wolfsburg before transferring to RB Leipzig in July 2022 for €12 million.

To date, Schlager has made 97 appearances for RB Leipzig, scoring 4 goals and providing 9 assists, and has won the German Cup and the German Super Cup with the team.

As for the national team, Schlager has made 49 appearances for Austria so far, contributing 4 goals and 2 assists.

Regarding Schlager's departure, RB Leipzig's sporting director, Marcel Schäfer, explained: "We invested a lot of time and effort in numerous meetings to try to persuade Xavier to renew his contract with us. However, we certainly accept and respect his decision to pursue new challenges, as the entire process was based on frank and open discussions."

“Over the past three and a half years, Xavier has played a crucial role at RB Leipzig, always giving his all on the pitch. We are grateful to him and wish him all the best in his new journey. We will continue to focus on the future and work together with Xavier in the coming months to achieve our goals for this season.”

Schlager himself stated: "I have experienced many unforgettable moments in my club career over the past three and a half years, the most memorable of which was our success in winning the German Cup and the German Super Cup in 2023. I have felt right at home both at the club and with the team. For that reason, I am very grateful for the efforts made by the club and its management in the negotiations."

"Ultimately, what prompted my decision was the desire to experience new things. This is not a rejection of RB Leipzig, but rather a decision to pursue a new direction. Anyone who knows me knows that I will give my all for the club, the fans, and our shared goals until the final whistle. My priority is to end my time at RB Leipzig in a positive way!"

Image source: Internet/Leipzig Red Bull official website