Bundesliga
First swallow? Leverkusen are likely to lose one of their biggest stars in the summer, with talk of a fee of around €40 million
Bayer Leverkusen has many interesting players in its squad. This has been the case for a long time, but this year they managed to win the German top league for the first time in the club’s history and so it is to be expected that the German champion will not keep some of its stars. The first big farewell is apparently imminent.
Bayer Leverkusen has many interesting players in its squad. This has been the case for a long time, but this year they managed to win the German top league for the first time in the club’s history and so it is to be expected that the German champion will not keep some of its stars. The first big farewell is apparently imminent.
The traditional German team has finally shed its nickname “Neverkusen”. It was used by fans of other German clubs to mock the team for not winning many trophies in its history. Until this year, only three.
But Neverkusen became German champions for the first time in history. This was only the fourth trophy won after the trophies for winning the second league (1978/79), the UEFA Cup (1987/88) and the German Cup (1992/93). Moreover, he has gone through the season without a loss, which is why he is often nicknamed “Neverlusen”.
It doesn’t necessarily end with the title. Xabi Alonso can lead his charges to the Europa League and DFB-Pokal trophies. In the EL, they will face Atalanta in the final, and in the German Cup they will challenge second-placed Kaiserslautern.
However, a successful season will take its toll. Leverkusen cannot be expected to keep all their stars. There is a lot of interest in several of them. In particular, Florian Wirtz, the prodigy of German football, has been the subject of media coverage for a long time. But he is not alone.
This season, the newcomer Victor Boniface and Jeremie Frimpong, who already showed great potential last year, have attracted a lot of attention, but this year he has taken his performances to an even higher level and is one of the main contributors to the title.
Will Leverkusen lose their big star?
According to Bild, Jeremie Frimpong could be the first star to leave Leverkusen. Although he is under contract at the club until the summer of 2028, the 23-year-old cannot be expected to keep his contract.
After all, it has an exit clause set at €40 million. However, it has to be activated before the start of this year’s European Championship, which is hosted by Germany. If this does not happen, Bayer can ask for a higher sum.
Big clubs such as Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are interested in Frimpong. And no wonder. He plays well, and he can play on the right edge of defence as well as on the right wing.
This season, the Dutch talent has played in 44 competitive games, scoring 14 goals and assisting 12 more. Leverkusen have had a great support in him. It will be difficult to replace him.
Source: Bild, Transfermarkt