Péter Gulácsi has left RB Leipzig after 11 years and joined Villarreal, bringing down the curtain on one of the longest and most productive spells in the club's recent history. He goes with 296 Bundesliga appearances and 96 clean sheets for Leipzig, plus two DFB Cups and a Champions League semi-final on his record.

Leipzig's long-serving keeper

Gulácsi joined Leipzig in July 2015, before their final Bundesliga 2 season, and helped them win promotion in 2015/16. That matters because it puts his move into the wider story of the club's rise, not just a late-career switch. He was there for the climb and then for the years when Leipzig were no longer a project but a permanent part of the German top tier.

The quotes from the club make the scale of his exit clear. "Saying goodbye after 11 years is incredibly difficult," Gulácsi told bundesliga.com. "RB Leipzig was never just a club to me. Leipzig has become a second home for me and my family, and the people here will always have a special place in our hearts."

Marcel Schäfer was just as direct: "Pete is undoubtedly one of the most important players in our club's history."

Villarreal's side of the move

The transfer also points to a Villarreal side that arrives from a strong domestic season. They finished third in La Liga in 2025 with 72 points, scored 72 league goals and conceded 46. That is a decent platform for a goalkeeper who has spent the last decade playing in a high-pressure environment, and it suggests they are not bringing him in to sit in a passive setup.

Villarreal's European numbers were less convincing, though. They finished 35th in the 2025 Champions League with one point, so the move also lands at a time when the club will want more stability in continental competition. Gulácsi is not walking into a rebuilding job, but he is joining a side with clear expectations.

For Leipzig, the departure is the end of a proper era. For Villarreal, it is a sensible piece of business, bringing in a goalkeeper with years of top-level experience and a record shaped by promotion, trophies and deep European runs.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →