What had already been hinted at in recent days is now official: Bayer 04 Leverkusen has signed Facundo Medina. The Werkself now has two World Cup finalists on its roster.
With the departure of Alejandro Grimaldo, Leverkusen has lost not only an outstanding player but also a future World Cup champion. The Spaniard had transferred to Atlético Madrid during the tournament, which is why Exequiel Palacios had been the only professional on the Bayer roster to have reached a World Cup final until recently. However, the Argentine—whose own future at the club does not appear entirely secure—will no longer hold this distinction.
On Tuesday, the Bundesliga club officially announced the signing of Facundo Medina, who, unlike Palacios, had even come off the bench to play in Argentina’s World Cup final loss to Spain (0–1 in extra time). In total, the 27-year-old made three appearances at the World Cup. He has now signed a contract with Leverkusen through 2031.
Following the signing of Miguel (SSC Napoli), Medina is the second new addition who could strengthen the defensive line. Unlike the attack-minded left back, however, the Argentine is considered a defensively strong defender who can play both in the center of the defense and on the left side of the back line.
Medina’s move to the Bundesliga: “Great”
For the left-footed player’s services, the Werkself is paying Olympique Marseille a transfer fee of 20 million euros, which could increase further through bonus payments. “With Facundo Medina, we’ve signed a very experienced professional who will immediately be a pillar of our team thanks to his class and strong mentality. He’s a player who excels in one-on-one situations: assertive and aggressive. Facundo’s qualities add an important element to our squad’s profile,” explains Leverkusen’s sporting director, Simon Rolfes.
Medina himself describes the move to the Bundesliga as “great.” During the World Cup, he spoke at length with Exequiel Palacios about the club, and Palacios “praised Leverkusen to the skies.” “Pala has been here for so long and has celebrated great successes—I’d like to experience that with Bayer 04, too.”
