I guess like many of you, I’ve been a little bit impatient about our activity in the transfer window so far, though, I have to remind myself that it is still only the beginning of July – literally.
Though, the good news is, that we do appear to be exploring deals and the 49ers Enterprises appear to be working relentlessly behind the scenes – I’m not too worried.
On that point – I have some good news – we’ve now made our third signing of the summer and, second defensive capture in centre-back Sebastiaan Bornauw for who I think is a bargain £5.14 million from Wolfsburg on a four-year deal.
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Leeds have signed Wolfsburg defender Sebastiaan Bornauw on a four-year deal for a fee of £5.1m ✍️🟡 pic.twitter.com/LTIEN21jOz
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) July 1, 2025
The 26-year-old joins Slovenia international, Jaka Bijol, who I think was a great signing from Udinese – especially for his £15 million fee. Meanwhile, we also picked up forward Lukas Nmecha on a free transfer, from Wolfsburg as well.
While Bornauw is not as big a name, it does seem like he can do a job for us and, for the price especially, I think he was too good to ignore. Four caps for Belgium as well.
What Do We Know About Bornauw?
So, the centre-back had one year remaining on his current deal at Wolfsburg, who signed him from fellow Bundesliga side, FC Koln for £11.5 million (where we signed Robin Koch from), four years ago.
Arguably the player’s standout trait is his aerial presence – standing at 6ft 3ins, which means he is more than capable of handling himself against physical strikers. He also plays on the right side of defence and from what I can ascertain can do a job at right-back (if needed).
Reportedly, he won 4.11 aerial duels per 90 minutes last campaign for Wolfsburg, which for this particular metric puts him in the top one per cent of centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues.
As a comparison, for the same statistic, Bijol won 3.31 aerial duels per 90 minutes, while Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon won 3.60 and 2.59 respectively.
Meanwhile, for interceptions, Bornauw is also in the top 20 per cent of centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for interceptions (1.37 per 90 minutes) and blocks (1.6 per 90 minutes). Based on this, I think we could have a centre-back on our hands who could very easily surprise a few people in the Premier League this season. If he picks up from last season in a similar fashion, then I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few top clubs circling this time next year.
| Player | Aerial Duels Won per 90 minutes | Interceptions per 90 minutes | Blocks per 90 minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sebastiaan Bornauw | 4.11 | 1.37 | 1.6 |
| Jaka Bijol | 3.31 | 1.8 | 0.5 |
| Joe Rodon | 3.6 | 2 | 0.8 |
| Pascal Struijk | 2.59 | 1.6 | 0.7 |
What Could This Mean At The Back?
It will be interesting to see how Daniel Farke sets up now. I think we have more than enough centre-backs and I’d find it hard not to feel sorry for both Rodon and Struijk if they were immediately displaced. I think, based on last season, they do deserve a chance.
Possibly, it could see Farke being strategic and using certain players against certain teams. He may decide to use Bornauw up against a striker like Chris Wood, when we play Nottingham Forest, for example who has proven a handful for sleighter Premier League centre-backs.
I definitely don’t see him being used at right-back unless absolutely necessary, though against more dominant teams, Farke might decide to play with three at the back, using Bornauw on the right side.
It’s definitely a case of ‘wait and see’, but I definitely can’t argue about the fee and based on his statistics he could prove to be great value for money.
