Wolfsburg Agree €25m Pejcinovic Sale to Stuttgart as Dortmund Beat Arsenal to Win Emirates Cup
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VfB Stuttgart have reached a full agreement with relegated VfL Wolfsburg for striker Dzenan Pejcinovic in a deal worth €25m, sporting director Dieter Hecking confirmed after Wolfsburg's opening 2. Bundesliga match. The move still depends on a medical in the coming days, but personal terms with the 21-year-old have been in place for weeks; Wolfsburg signed him from Augsburg for just €1.25m in 2022, making this a substantial profit.
Borussia Dortmund beat Arsenal 3-2 to win the Emirates Cup on Sunday, with Konstantinos Karetsas and Samuele Inácio scoring either side of the break before Joane Gadou restored a two-goal cushion; Arsenal pulled level to 3-2 through Ethan Nwaneri and a Viktor Gyökeres penalty but could not find an equaliser, and only won a subsequent shootout for a consolation prize. The result offered an early look at how Dortmund's attack is shaping up following Karim Adeyemi's departure to Barcelona.
RB Leipzig have officially confirmed the sale of winger Yan Diomande to Real Madrid for a fixed fee of €125m, rising by a further €15m in add-ons, after the 19-year-old impressed during his breakout Bundesliga season. The fee stands as one of the largest sales in Bundesliga history and gives Leipzig significant funds to reinvest before the window closes.
Bayer Leverkusen have signed Portugal U21 winger Afonso Moreira from Lyon on a contract through 2031, in a package reported at €33.6m including bonuses and a 10% sell-on clause for the French club. Moreira scored eight goals and added ten assists in 37 appearances for Lyon last season, and arrives as Leverkusen's second significant addition on the flanks this summer after left-back Miguel Gutiérrez.
Transfer and squad notes
RB Leipzig have also completed the signing of centre-back Maxime Estève from relegated Burnley on a five-year deal worth around €25m, part of the club's reinvestment of funds generated by outgoing sales this summer.
FC Köln have made Jahmai Simpson-Pusey's move from Manchester City permanent, paying around €5m for the 20-year-old defender and tying him to a contract through 2030 after his loan spell in the second half of last season.
What it means for the league
Dortmund's Emirates Cup defeat of Arsenal, secured without last season's leading attacking outlet in Adeyemi, suggests the club's rebuilt forward line is further along than some expected this early in pre-season. Leipzig's ability to turn Diomande's departure into fresh investment across defence shows a club still operating its familiar buy-low, sell-high model despite losing a breakout talent. Stuttgart and Leverkusen's activity, meanwhile, points to continued spending by mid-table and Champions League clubs alike as the transfer window enters its final weeks before the 28 August season start.