Sergi Altimira battles for the ball against Luis Milla during a La Liga match between Getafe and Betis earlier this season.
/ ZIPI ARAGON / EFE
Sergi Altimira is once again at the center of transfer speculation. Just hours before Real Betis face a crucial match against Elche in their fight for Champions League qualification, the Catalan midfielder held a meeting in Seville with his representatives and Marcel Schäfer, the sporting director of RB Leipzig.
The meeting, first reported by Diario de Sevilla, took place on Monday at a well-known restaurant in the Andalusian capital. Later, Zona Mixta revealed Schäfer’s presence after capturing the German club executive leaving the venue, an image that confirms Leipzig’s active pursuit of one of the most sought-after players in Betis’ squad.
Altimira has drawn significant attention in recent transfer windows. Several Bundesliga clubs have been monitoring his progress, and he has also been linked with Sporting CP, though no formal offer has reached the Betis offices.
At Heliópolis, the club is aware that the summer may require difficult decisions. Betis needs to generate capital gains before June 30, and selling Altimira is seen as one of the most viable operations. According to figures circulating and confirmed by club sources to El Correo de Andalucía, the green-and-white club values the player between €20 million and €25 million.
The meeting with Schäfer does not imply an agreement with Betis, sources from the club emphasized, but it does show that Leipzig has moved from monitoring to direct action. The German side aims to position itself in a deal that could accelerate once the season ends, especially if Betis needs to finalize exits to balance their books before the June 30 deadline.
Meanwhile, Manuel Pellegrini’s Betis face a pivotal match on Tuesday against Elche that could seal their place in the Europa League (they already have Conference League secured) and potentially even secure Champions League football by the end of the evening, provided Celta lose their game against Levante an hour earlier.
