Sebastiaan Bornauw admits he 'fought hard' for move from Leeds United to Hamburg
Sebastiaan Bornauw has made an admission regarding his summer move away from Leeds United
Sebastiaan Bornauw has revealed he “fought hard” to seal a move away from Leeds United in the summer transfer window.
The 27-year-old was a £5m acquisition for Leeds in the summer of 2025, leaving Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg for the Whites.
He found opportunities limited in his maiden Premier League campaign, acting as a back-up and managing just 12 league outings.
The defender sealed a season-long move to Hamburg in the summer, returning to Germany on a deal containin a buy option.
Sebastiaan Bornauw ‘fought’ for Leeds United exit
Bornauw has now lifted the lid on his move away from Elland Road, describing the Bundesliga as a “second home”.
As reported by BILD, he said: “The first contact with HSV (Hamburg) was made at the end of May, beginning of June.
“I fought hard at Leeds to come to Hamburg. The Bundesliga is a second home for me. I feel very comfortable in Germany. I really wanted to play for HSV. There's an abundance of tradition here, and I like that.”
The Belgium international completed 90 minutes in each of their first three games this season, although has missed their last two through injury.
Leeds United’s centre-back department
Bornauw was not the only centre-back to leave Daniel Farke’s squad over the summer, as the Whites also parted with Pascal Struijk.
The 27-year-old completed a move to fellow Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion, although both Struijk and Bornauw were replaced in LS11.
A hefty £34m was paid to prise Tarik Muharemović from Sassuolo and a reported £8.5m was forked out to sign Nico Elvedi from Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Both have made impressive starts to life in West Yorkshire, slotting into a central back three well.