Eljif Elmas, a 26-year-old North Macedonia international who plays as an attacking midfielder, is set to permanently leave Napoli as the club does not intend to exercise its €17 million buy-back option from Red Bull Leipzig following his loan spell. It has been reported that foreign clubs including Fenerbahce and Aston Villa have shown interest. Juventus is also a potential destination at the specific request of Luciano Spalletti. The manager appreciates the player, with whom he shared the third Scudetto-winning season, and as a result, a possible involvement from Juventus in the negotiations is not being ruled out.
In the 2025/2026 Serie A season, Elmas made 33 appearances, scoring one goal and providing three assists. It was reported in June 2026 that after declining the purchase option, Napoli had a lower offer of €10-11 million rejected by RB Leipzig. RB Leipzig had purchased the player from Napoli in January 2024 for €24 million. Elmas has 79 caps and 13 goals for his country, and his current market value is €13.00m, according to Transfermarkt.
