Frimpong to Man Utd, Wirtz to City - Five Leverkusen stars who could move in 2024
Tom Weber
- Updated: 4 Nov 2023 16:10 GMT
- 5 min read
Bayer Leverkusen are taking the Bundesliga by storm this season - and this form could see them picked apart next summer.
The Werkself boast a squad brimming with talent. There are many stars in Xabi Alonso's table-topping side who could be snapped up by a bigger club next year - especially if they keep their stunning form up for the entire season and finally break Bayern's choke hold on the Bundesliga.
It was a tough task to narrow the list of potential 2024 exits down to just five, but here are the five Leverkusen players who will very likely get a big move next year.
READ: Man City and PSG plot magical move for Ligue 1 wizard
Florian Wirtz, 20, attacking midfielder
No discussion of Bayer Leverkusen and their stunning rise to the summit of the German top flight is complete without a mention of Florian Wirtz. The young German is - and has been for several years already - the heartbeat of the side.
An eminent creator who likes to get on the scoresheet himself, Wirtz is a magician with the ball at his feet and, incredibly, he looks better than ever despite suffering an ACL injury in 2022. So far this term, he has notched five goals and nine assists in 14 outings.
As FootballTransfers previously explained, the 20-year-old likely won't suffer from 'Bundesliga Tax' in the Premier League and the expectation is that he will be the world's next €100 million player, with pretty much every elite English club - and Man City in particular - taking a keen interest in him.
Victor Boniface, 22, striker
Nigeria has produced a wealth of exciting strikers in recent years, but Victor Boniface has something that sets him apart from the likes of Victor Osimhen, Taiwo Awoniyi and Gift Orban: he is a winger at heart stuck in the body of a bulldozing centre-forward.
The 190cm giant plays with the grace of a tricky winger and he has thoroughly enriched the Bundesliga with his presence, scoring 10 and assisting four across all competitions.
Skillful, intelligent, a physical presence and quick for his size, Boniface has the trappings of becoming an elite striker with his shot conversion being the only area of his game that needs improving.
There is one major worry with him, however, and that is that he has already torn his ACL twice at age 22, though that won't deter big clubs if he keeps up his stunning form.
Jeremie Frimpong, 22, right-back
One of the most exciting players in his position in all of Europe, Jeremie Frimpong is not your average right-back; in fact, it's perhaps a stretch to call him a right-back in the first place. More winger than wing-back, the Dutchman has been one of Leverkusen's biggest attacking threats since he arrived.
After hitting nine goals and 11 assists last term, the 22-year-old has already recorded five goals and seven assists in just 13 games this time around.
Heavily linked with Man Utd, he won't come cheap as he recently signed a new long-term contract, but in the right system, he will definitely be worth the money.
Piero Hincapie, 21, centre-back
If there is one victim of Leverkusen's success this season, it's Piero Hincapie. A highly rated and versatile defender, the Ecuador international has seen his game time in the Bundesliga diminish dramatically because of the stunning form of Xabi Alonso's preferred backline.
Equally comfortable at the heart of defence as he is at left-back, Hincapie's stocks remain high and his versatility makes him a sought-after commodity.
Given his lack of game time, a move is all the more likely and Liverpool have been strongly linked precisely because he would fit their system like a glove.
READ: 'Jurgen Klopp is exceptional', Liverpool transfer target admits
Edmond Tapsoba, 24, centre-back
A solid centre-back who is good on the ball, Edmond Tapsoba is an undisputed starter for Xabi Alonso. A player who stunned many Bundesliga fans with his ability when he first arrived, the hype around Tapsoba has died off because of Leverkusen's struggles last season.
Nevertheless, Tapsoba remains highly rated among scouts and Man Utd were keen on him in the summer, but the German side's asking price put off the Red Devils.
The 24-year-old has been a big reason why Leverkusen boast one of the Bundesliga's best defensive records and he will be eyed by Europe's elite again in the summer.
