Some players spend their late twenties settling into a role. Eljif Elmas has spent his packing bags. Since leaving Napoli for RB Leipzig in January 2024, he has been loaned to Torino, sent back to Napoli and, on 22 August 2026, loaned again, this time to Atalanta with an option to buy. He turned 27 on 24 September. The question in Bergamo isn't whether he can play. Everyone in Serie A already knows he can. It's whether anyone will finally build a team around the fact that he can play almost anywhere.
The file on Elmas
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Eljif Elmas |
| Born | 24 September 1999, Skopje, North Macedonia |
| Age | 27 |
| Nationality | North Macedonian |
| Height | About 1.82 m (roughly 6 ft) |
| Position | Attacking or central midfielder, also used on the left |
| Current club | Atalanta, on loan for 2026/27 with an option to buy |
| Parent club | RB Leipzig, contract to 30 June 2028 |
| Religion | Islam (he has publicly identified as Muslim) |
| Estimated net worth | €22 million to €25 million (Icon Polls estimate) |
A teenager who left Skopje early
Elmas came through at Rabotnički in his home city and left for Fenerbahçe in 2017, still a teenager. Istanbul was a big stage for a player that young, and it was a natural landing spot given his family's Turkish roots. He made his senior debut for North Macedonia while still in his teens too, which tells you how quickly people back home decided he was the real thing.
In 2019 Napoli paid Fenerbahçe €16 million, with bonus terms on top. It was a reasonable fee for a prospect, and it turned out to be a good one.
Naples made his name
Elmas was rarely the headline act at Napoli. He was something more useful: the player a coach could drop into midfield, push further forward or shift to the left without the team losing its shape. That kind of versatility doesn't win individual awards, but it wins trust. He collected a Coppa Italia in Naples and was part of the squad that won the 2022/23 Serie A title, the club's first league crown in more than three decades.
For a lot of European fans, that title run is when Elmas stopped being a name on a team sheet and became a recognisable player. He's right footed, comfortable on the ball, and his game is built on movement and control rather than one fixed job.
The Leipzig gamble that hasn't paid off yet
RB Leipzig signed him in January 2024 in a deal valued at about €24 million. On paper it made sense: a proven Serie A winner in his prime, joining a club that likes technical, mobile midfielders. In practice, the move has never quite settled. By the second half of 2024/25 he was on loan at Torino. In 2025/26 he went back to Napoli on loan. Now he's at Atalanta.
Be honest about what that pattern says. Leipzig still value him enough to keep him under contract until June 2028, but three straight loans suggest they don't see him at the centre of their plans. Italy, meanwhile, keeps calling him back. That's not a coincidence. His game simply seems to fit Serie A better.
Why Bergamo matters more than the last two loans
The difference this time is the option to buy. Torino and the Napoli return were stopgaps. Atalanta have given themselves a route to make the move permanent, which means this season works as a year-long trial. If Elmas plays regularly and performs, the purchase clause becomes a live conversation. If he drifts in and out of the side, he's likely back on Leipzig's books next summer with another decision to make.
His commonly tracked market value sat at around €13 million in May 2026, well below what Leipzig paid. Market value is only an estimate, not a price tag, but the gap shows how much his stock has cooled since 2024. A strong year could close it quickly.
Is he still one of the better midfielders of his generation from the Balkans? Probably. Fans can make their own case for where players like him rank among the greats in our vote on the best football players of all time.
The money, with the caveats
Icon Polls estimates Elmas's net worth at €22 million to €25 million in 2026. That is our estimate, not a figure he has ever declared. It reflects years of top-flight contracts in Turkey, Italy and Germany, the size of his transfers, and likely bonuses from a title-winning spell at Napoli.
His salary is easier to sketch. His Leipzig deal has been widely estimated at roughly €5 million to €6 million gross a year before bonuses. How that wage is being split between Atalanta and Leipzig this season hasn't been made public, so any precise figure you see should be treated with suspicion. Gross pay is also a long way from what lands in his account after tax and fees. The safe summary: he's a multi-million-euro-a-year footballer, and has been for some time.
Skopje first, Turkey close behind
Elmas is North Macedonian. He was born in Skopje and plays his international football for North Macedonia, where he's become one of the most recognised players of his generation. His family background and his years at Fenerbahçe have long made him a figure of interest in Turkey, and he has spoken in the past about the possibility of representing Turkey. He chose the country of his birth, and that's where his international career has been built.
Faith, and a private life kept private
Elmas is Muslim, and that isn't an assumption drawn from his name. He has described himself publicly as Muslim and talked about observing Ramadan and fasting while continuing to play at the top level. He has also spoken about faith and family values as central to his life.
Beyond that, he keeps his personal life out of view. There is no publicly confirmed wife, and he hasn't chosen to share details of his relationships. Until he does, that's the whole story.
Briefly
Is Elmas still a Napoli player?
No. He spent 2025/26 at Napoli on loan, returned to RB Leipzig, then joined Atalanta on loan in August 2026.
Can Atalanta sign him permanently?
Yes. The loan includes an option to buy. Unless it's activated, Leipzig hold his contract until 30 June 2028.
What has he won?
His major club honours came at Napoli: the Coppa Italia and the 2022/23 Serie A title.
