Manchester City renew interest in €70M-rated Bayer Leverkusen midfielder amid Sandro Tonali doubts

Manchester City renew interest in €70M-rated Bayer Leverkusen midfielder amid Sandro Tonali doubts

• Man City return with renewed interest in Bayer Leverkusen’s Ibrahim Maza
• The midfielder joined the German club on a five-year contract last summer.
• Leverkusen are not interested in parting ways with Algerian, who is valued at €70M.

Manchester City are once again in pursuit of Germany-born Algeria international Ibrahim Maza’s signature in the upcoming transfer window, as per reports.

The 20-year-old attacking midfielder was on City’s radar last summer but Bayer Leverkusen beat the Blues and other interested sides to sign him on a five-year contract for a reported fee of €12 million.

While City have reportedly renewed interest to bring Maza to the Etihad Stadium, it has been suggested that Leverkusen are not going to make it an easy one.

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How has Maza fared at Leverkusen this season?

Maza, who joined the Bundesliga giants from second division club Hertha BSC, has started in 26 out of the 38 appearances he has made in all competitions for Leverkusen so far this term, scoring five goals and providing six assists.

In February, Maza was asked for the highlight of his time at Leverkusen so far, to which he recalled an assist he provided in a 2-0 win over Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League in November 2025.

“I remember my assist for Patrik Schick against Manchester City. It was against City, which was something special – and we won as well,” Maza said.

With his contract running till the summer of 2030, the Algeria international has been deemed to be a key part of Leverkusen’s long-term game plan and the German outfit are not expected to part ways with the midfielder without a hefty offer on the table.

How much are Leverkusen asking for Maza?

Leverkusen have turned down early interest from Manchester City for Maza, demanding about €70 million for the Berlin-born star, according to Dzair Sport Plus in Algeria and 4-4-2, as relayed by Sport Witness.

After reportedly rejecting a €35 million bid from Atletico Madrid in the winter transfer market and not entertaining any other offers, Leverkusen appeared to solidify their reluctance to sell Maza ahead of the summer window by setting a massive asking price.

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The Hertha BSC graduate’s value has been estimated to be €40 million, as per Transfermarkt.

Will Man City continue the pursuit of Maza?

Having already lifted the Carabao Cup after defeating Arsenal in the final in March, City are now focused on securing more domestic silverware by chasing Arsenal down in the Premier League title race and vying to reach the FA Cup final, with a semi-final Wembley tie with Southampton in the offing.

While crucial matches lie ahead, executives at the Etihad Stadium have been very active ahead of the summer to ensure maintaining a strong squad for the upcoming campaign.

With Bernando Silva leaving at the end of the season, Manchester City have been linked with several up-and-coming stars to further bolster their midfield, making young Maza a great potential addition.

Recent reports have heavily linked Manchester City with Hertha BSC’s Kennet Eichhorn, Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson and West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes, among others.

With several other signing options for the midfielder, it remains to be seen if Manchester City strength their pursuit of the 20-year-old, especially in light of the significant price-tag slapped by Leverkusen.