RB Leipzig sign attacking midfielder Christoph Baumgartner from Hoffenheim

Attacking midfielder Christoph Baumgartner has joined RB Leipzig from Hoffenheim on a five-year deal.

He will join up with the team for pre-season performance tests on 15th July, before joining training on 17th July along with the rest of our internationals.

"I'm extremely excited," Baumgartner told the club's official website.

"From the start, Max Eberl, Rouven Schröder and Felix Krüger made it clear that the club really wanted to sign me. The meeting I had with Marco Rose also made it clear to me that moving to RB Leipzig was definitely the right step for me. The opportunities offered by the club are incredible.

"Christoph is quick, poses a threat on goal and is a very intelligent player. He can play with both feet and has an incredible shot. His skills and abilities lend another aspect to our game. Baumi is also a good guy: down-to-earth, eager to learn and ambitious.

Meanwhile, RBL board member for sport Max Eberl said:"Christoph Baumgartner was one of the players on our transfer wish list. He's a variable attacker that can play centrally, as well as on both wings, as a second or central striker or as a central midfielder.

"His desire to continue to improve and reach the next level make him a perfect fit for our team and our club."

Baumgartner began playing football at SV Horn and AKA St. Polten, before joining the TSG Hoffenheim academy as a 17-year-old in July 2017. He was part of the club's reserves the following season before breaking into the first team in January 2019.

"Baumi" made his professional debut on 11th May 2019 in a 1-0 loss to SV Werder Bremen. He has since gone on to feature in 120 Bundesliga games (27 goals, 17 assists) and has featured in eight Europa League matches (3 goals, 2 assists).

Last season was Baumgartner's best ever Bundesliga campaign. In addition to scoring seven times, he also provided seven assists and was involved in the second-most goals for TSG, after Andrej Kramarić.

Baumgartner made his debut for Austria's senior national team on 4th September 2020 as part of the starting XI during a 2-1 win against Norway. He has scored 10 goals and provided four assists in 29 games for his country to date.

Last Tuesday, Baumi scored a brace to help Austria to a 2-0 win over Sweden in a EURO 2024 qualifier.

READ MORE: Real Madrid tie midfielder Dani Ceballos down to new four-year contract