Leverkusen eye next level with signings

Bayer Leverkusen have been thrust upwards to new heights in the last couple of seasons under Xabi Alonso. Following on from a promising first year, the Spaniard achieved a historic unbeaten Bundesliga and DFB Pokal double with the club in his second season.

Die Werkself's success on the pitch has been nothing short of remarkable, and a big factor driving that success in performances has been the club's superb recruitment in recent times. Alejandro Grimaldo, who joined on a free transfer from Benfica last summer, went on to achieve double figures in both goals and assists.

Other notable signings from last summer include Granit Xhaka, Victor Boniface, Jonas Hofmann and Josip Stanišić - the common thread between them all being how quickly they became a core of Leverkusen's title-winning team.

This summer has been similarly smooth for Leverkusen. The signings of Aleix García, Martin Terrier and Jeanuël Belocian have all been done well in advance of the start of the season.

With plenty of time still to go, we look at whether Alonso's signings can help them reach the next level? 

Watch: Bayer Leverkusen return for pre-season

After their heroics last season, Bayer Leverkusen have plenty to live up to in the 2024/25 season. Whilst retaining the Meisterschale and Pokal will be a priority, Die Werkself will also have the challenge of competing against Europe's elite in the Champions League.

While Leverkusen's squad last season proved capable of seeing off all-comers in a staggering historic unbeaten run, the increasing calibre of continental opponents and challenge of defending their Bundesliga crown has made deepening the selection of players essential. Which is where, once again, recruitment becomes key.

The first to arrive in North Rhine-Westphalia was Jeanuël Belocian, joining from Stade Rennes on a five-year deal running upto 2029. The France U21 defender is only 19, but has already gathered significant experience with the Rennes first-team since breaking into the senior team at the age of 16.

Belocian's arrival not only reduces the average of the squad but also brings in a player with bags of potential. With Josip Stanišić's loan spell at the BayArena expiring, it was necessary for sporting director Simon Rolfes and Alonso to identify a young defender, like Stanišić, who could bring value for the present and the future. Belocian ticks all of those boxes.

The young Frenchman's qualities on the ball and his athleticism make him a perfect fit for Leverkusen, especially if Alonso plans to stick with his favoured back-three system. Belocian has experience in this kind of setup, having mostly played in a back three for Rennes during the 2023/24 season in Ligue 1.

Belocian will give Alonso the option of rotating centre-backs. Jonathan Tah, Edmond Tapsoba, Piero Hincapié and Odilon Kossonou were the four candidates for Alonso's back three, but now there are five in the mix. 

Granit Xhaka, Exequiel Palacios and Robert Andrich all played a crucial part in Leverkusen's title success last term from central midfield. For Alonso to recruit 27-year-old Spain international Aleix García in a position the club were already brimming with quality has to be a sign of his hunger for even more success.

Arriving from Girona this summer, García has had an interesting path in football so far. Coming through the youth setup at Villareal, and then Manchester City, García failed to find the right club for himself after multiple loan spells and even a spell abroad in Romania. It was ultimately in 2021 at Girona where he found his feet once again and hasn't looked back ever since.

The La Liga outfit achieved Champions League qualification last term thanks to the efforts of the likes of García, who captained the side for a great majority of the season as well. Scoring three goals and providing six assists in the Spanish top flight last term, García brings a great deal of offensive output for someone who profiles primarily as a deep-lying playmaker. His role at Girona wasn't too far off from Xhaka's for Leverkusen.

García brings elite technical ability with the ball, and schooled in Pep Guardiola's methods at Manchester City, he is also extremely press-resistant and capable of playing all kinds of defence-breaking passes. If he can reproduce the kind of performances he showed in Spain, this could well be yet another shrewd squad-elevating transfer from Leverkusen.

Another 27-year-old who joined Leverkusen this summer - and the club's second acquisition from Rennes - was versatile forward Martin Terrier.

After two injury-disrupted seasons at Rennes, joining Leverkusen offers Terrier the perfect opportunity to hit reset and rediscover his levels from the 2021/22 season. The Lille native scored 21 times and provided three assists in Ligue 1 for Rennes, helping the club qualify for Europe with his exceptional performances. 

The former Lyon forward plays a lot like Bayern Munich icon Thomas Müller with his ability to fill a variety of roles in the final third. Occupying space between the lines and using his intelligent movement to get into dangerous positions, Terrier seems tailor-made for Alonso's intricate attacking football.

Ultimately, Leverkusen's greatest achievement this summer may prove to be keeping hold of their star players including the likes of Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Grimaldo, amongst others.

The club's success last term has thrusted almost all of the Leverkusen players into the limelight with the rest of Europe's elite keeping a close eye on their performances. With the competition around them in the league toughening up, it's all the more important for Leverkusen to not just bring in fresh blood to the squad but also retain the core of what made them such a successful team.

The standards have been set sky-high after their historic unbeaten double last term, but with an even stronger squad, who's to say they won't repeat their incredible feats of last season and truly make their mark on the Champions League too?