In his first season with Bayer 04, Ibrahim Maza quickly became a key player. There are rumors of interest from various top clubs. But Leverkusen’s manager has declared the rising star not for sale.
Alongside Christian Kofane (18), he is the rising star of the past Bundesliga season at Bayer 04. Having joined from Hertha BSC in the summer of 2025 for a transfer fee of twelve million euros, Ibrahim Maza quickly developed into a key player at Leverkusen and, with standout performances such as in the 1-0 win at Benfica Lisbon, the 2-0 victory at Manchester City, or the 2-0 win against Villarreal CF, has at least caught the attention of top international clubs.
Various top clubs have their eyes on Maza
Most recently, the 20-year-old midfielder, who can play in any position from defensive midfield to attacking midfield, has been linked with Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, and Manchester City, as well as Barcelona and, most recently, Atlético Madrid. That said, no word of the Colchoneros’ alleged interest has reached Leverkusen yet. What is clear is that Europe’s top clubs have Maza on their radar.
But the veracity of all these reports and the question of just how concrete the interest in Maza is are, in this case, more or less irrelevant. After all, Maza is one of the very few, if not the only player on the team that finished sixth in the Bundesliga last season who is definitely not up for a transfer in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Selling Maza this summer “is out of the question”
When asked whether the Algerian international (17 appearances, two goals) and World Cup participant was unsellable this summer, he stated: “Ibo is an important player for us next season. And letting him go is out of the question.” Potential suitors can therefore save themselves the trouble for now. With this, Leverkusen’s managing director underscores the importance and standing that the hard-working playmaker enjoys at the 2024 double winners.
Rolfes thus rules out a sale of the right-footed player for 2026, who scored a total of three goals and set up six more in 28 appearances during the past Bundesliga season. Although the natural attacking midfielder drew particular attention in the first half of the past season playing in the double-six role—a position previously unfamiliar to him—he later also demonstrated his qualities as a number 10 in tight play between the lines. He is expected to remain in Leverkusen for at least one more season