Bayer Leverkusen's 10 biggest sales of all time

24 Oct 2024 15:41 BST |
Updated: 3 Oct 2026 19:47 BST |
4 min read

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Bayer Leverkusen are one of the biggest clubs in Germany and they ended their long wait for a Bundesliga title with a historic campaign in 2024.

Xabi Alonso’s side went unbeaten throughout the entire season to claim a Bundesliga title that will be remembered for decades, but the majority of that squad has now departed.

Below, FootballTransfers lists Bayer Leverkusen’s 10 biggest sales ever.

10. Julian Brandt – €25m (to Borussia Dortmund, 2019)

Julian Brandt joined Leverkusen from Wolfsburg’s academy in January 2014, and he became a first-team regular almost immediately, despite never making a senior appearance for Wolfsburg.

After five-and-a-half years, 215 games and 94 goal contributions, Brandt left Bayer Leverkusen to join Borussia Dortmund for €25m in 2019.

At Dortmund, he was a consistently impressive performer, and he helped the club reach the Champions League final in 2023. He joined Ajax on a free transfer in 2026.

9. Bernd Leno – €25m (to Arsenal, 2015)

Bernd Leno racked up 304 appearances for Bayer Leverkusen and his consistent level of form attracted the interest of Arsenal in 2015.

The Gunners spent €25m to sign the German shot-stopper and he enjoyed three seasons as Arsenal’s number one goalkeeper.

However, he was demoted upon Aaron Ramsdale’s arrival in 2021 and Leno was sold to Fulham the following year.

8. Heung-min Son – €30m (to Tottenham, 2015)

Heung-min Son enjoyed an eye-catching final season at Hamburg, and his performances convinced Leverkusen to spend €12.5m to sign him in 2013.

The South Korea legend developed nicely during his time at Leverkusen and after 40 goal contributions in 87 games for the club, he joined Tottenham for €30m in 2015.

Son became an icon in North London, registering over 450 appearances and 173 goals for Spurs, before departing for LAFC in 2025 after winning the Europa League.

7. Kerim Alajbegovic – €32m (to Juventus, 2026)

Bosnia and Herzegovina international Kerim Alajbegovic never made a senior appearance for Bayer Leverkusen, yet the Bundesliga club managed to sell him for a profit – twice.

Aged 17, the academy product was initially transferred to RB Salzburg for €2m in 2025. He enjoyed a breakout season in Austria, which prompted Leverkusen to exercise their €8m buy-back option.

Alajbegovic then followed up his impressive campaign with an encouraging World Cup, resulting in Juventus offering €32m to sign him in the summer of 2026 before he had even played a single Bundesliga game for Leverkusen.

6. Leon Bailey – €32m (to Aston Villa, 2021)

Leon Bailey was heavily linked with a move to Chelsea in both 2019 and 2020, while Manchester United and Liverpool were also interested in signing the Jamaican winger.

However, Aston Villa won the race for his signature in 2021, with Bailey leaving Leverkusen with 156 appearances and 39 goals to his name.

Leverkusen doubled their money on the Jamaica star, having signed him from Genk for €16.7m in 2017.

5. Jeremie Frimpong – €40m (to Liverpool, 2025)

Jeremie Frimpong became Leverkusen’s fourth-biggest sale in history when he completed a €40m move to Liverpool in 2025.

The Netherlands star was an integral member of Leverkusen’s title-winning team under Xabi Alonso, and he ended his career at the club with over 70 goal contributions in 190 appearances.

Having arrived from Celtic for just €11m in 2021, Frimpong undoubtedly goes down as one of Leverkusen’s best signings in recent memory.

4. Piero Hincapie – €40m (to Arsenal, 2026)

A versatile, left-sided defender, Piero Hincapie became a star for Leverkusen in his four years at the club. After helping the club win a domestic double in 2024, the Ecuador international was firmly on the radar of elite clubs.

In 2025, it became clear that Hincapie was desperate to take the next step in his career, so when Arsenal came calling, he jumped at the opportunity to join them.

The Gunners signed him on an initial loan deal because they couldn’t afford another permanent signing late in the window, but it was an open secret that Hincapie’s stint in North London would be made permanent for €40m in 2026.

That fee immediately looked a bargain after helping Arsenal win a first Premier League title in more than 20 years.

3. Moussa Diaby – €55m (to Aston Villa, 2023)

Moussa Diaby followed in Bailey’s footsteps two years later, with the Frenchman also joining Aston Villa in a big-money move.

Diaby spent four years at Leverkusen, registering 97 goal contributions in 172 games, and he became Villa’s record signing upon his arrival.

However, he spent just one season at Villa Park before moving to Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia. He returned to Leverkusen in 2026.

2. Kai Havertz – €100m (to Chelsea, 2020)

Kai Havertz was the golden boy of Bayer Leverkusen’s academy, and he became the club’s youngest ever Bundesliga debutant in 2016 and their youngest ever Bundesliga goalscorer the following year.

Havertz’s stature continued to grow at a staggering rate, and after notching 27 goals and assists during the 2018/19 season, he finished third in the Golden Boy award.

Amid competition from Real Madrid, Chelsea pounced and the Blues spent an initial €80m to sign Havertz in 2020, which soon rose to €100m.

He scored the winning goal in the Champions League final during his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge, but he never quite displayed his true potential, and Havertz was sold to Arsenal in 2023.

1. Florian Wirtz – €125m (to Liverpool, 2025)

Florian Wirtz established himself as one of the world’s most exciting talents at Leverkusen and played a crucial role in the Werkself winning the domestic double in 2023-24.

He followed that up with another elite campaign in 2024-25, after which many assumed he would be on his way to Bayern Munich. However, Wirtz surprised everybody when he gave the nod to reigning Premier League champions Liverpool instead.

After lengthy talks with Leverkusen, the Reds agreed to shell out a club-record €125m fee, with bonuses potentially taking the deal up to €136.3m.

The 10 biggest Bayer Leverkusen sales of all time

Cameron Smith is a Digital Content Producer for FootballTransfers, having joined the team upon its inception in November 2020.

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