Maxime Estéve impresses at RB Leipzig and may join team council

RB Leipzig secured the services of Burnley's Maxime Estéve for €25 million in July, and the 24-year-old French defender has already made an impact in pre-season. Deployed on the right side of a three-man defence, a position he described as new, he nonetheless handled the assignment without difficulty. Head coach Martín Demichelis is said to be contemplating adding Estéve to the club's team council for the 2026/27 season, reflecting his perceived leadership.

Sporting director Marcel Schäfer highlighted the defender's natural leadership when introducing him. Estéve noted that he feels as if he has been at the club longer, knows several players, and intends to stay close to the squad to fulfill the communicative demands of a centre-back. Leipzig's first competitive fixtures will be a DFB Pokal match against Eintracht Trier followed by a Bundesliga clash with Borussia Mönchengladbach.