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Leverkusen rule out Maza exit despite Arsenal and Man City interest

·By Paul Lindisfarne
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Leverkusen rule out Maza exit despite Arsenal and Man City interest

Bayer Leverkusen/X.com

Bayer Leverkusen have made clear that Ibrahim Maza will not be leaving the club this summer, regardless of the level of interest from elsewhere in Europe.

The 20-year-old attacking midfielder joined Bayer Leverkusen from Hertha Berlin in the summer of 2025 for a fee of around €12 million, and quickly established himself as a key player.

Maza has impressed in matches against some of European football's biggest clubs, including a 1-0 win away at Benfica and a 2-0 victory at Manchester City.

Sporting director Simon Rolfes addressed the speculation directly when speaking to Kicker.

"Ibo is an important player for us next season," Rolfes said.

"Allowing him to leave is absolutely out of the question."

Maza is currently away with Algeria at the World Cup, having earned 17 caps for the North African nation.

He has made 44 appearances for Leverkusen since his move from Hertha Berlin, contributing five goals and five assists across his debut Bundesliga season.

Reports throughout the season have linked Maza with a host of clubs, including Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester City, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

According to TransferFeed, Manchester City had an initial offer of around €50 million rejected by Bayer Leverkusen, before reportedly preparing a follow-up bid that could reach €65 million with a sell-on clause included.

Arsenal have also been credited with interest, with reports suggesting the club identified Maza as a potential long-term option in midfield, though any offer in the region of €40 million was said to have been swiftly rejected.

Leverkusen's stance reflects the importance Maza has assumed within the squad in a remarkably short space of time.

His representation by the same agency that handled Omar Marmoush's move to Manchester City has fuelled speculation of a similar pathway, though Leverkusen's public position suggests any such move remains a long way off.

Maza is under contract at Leverkusen until 2030, giving the German club significant control over the timeline of any future departure.

With his World Cup campaign with Algeria still to play out, Maza has every opportunity to further enhance his reputation on the global stage, even if Leverkusen's message is that none of it will translate into a transfer this summer.