Manchester City Join Arsenal And Tottenham In Race For Ibrahim Maza

Ibrahim Maza is quickly becoming one of Bayer Leverkusen's biggest assets.

The 20-year-old arrived from Hertha Berlin in 2025 as one of Germany's most promising attacking players. Just over a year later, Manchester City have reportedly joined Arsenal in monitoring his situation, with the Premier League giants keeping a close eye on the Algerian international.

According to recent reports from Fussball-News, Manchester City have already made contact with Maza's entourage to stay informed about his situation and development. Leverkusen, however, is under no pressure to sell.

That is partly because the club protected itself when Maza arrived. He signed a contract running until June 2030, giving Die Werkself considerable control over his future. The latest reports suggest Bayer would only consider offers in the region of €65-70 million.

That figure is a significant jump from the €12 million Leverkusen reportedly paid Hertha for the midfielder in 2025, but even that might not be enough.

It simply shows how quickly Maza's value has changed.

His first season at the Bay Arena was about establishing himself at a much higher level after making the move from the second tier with Hertha. Now, he is increasingly being trusted with important responsibilities at both Algeria and Leverkusen, while his technical ability and versatility have made him attractive to clubs looking for the next best attacking talent.

Sporting director Simon Rolfes described Maza as one of the most interesting young attacking players around, highlighting his technique, dribbling, and ability to bring teammates into play.

Arsenal have been linked with Maza for several months, and multiple reports list the Gunners among the clubs closely monitoring him. Manchester City's involvement now adds another heavyweight to the picture.

There is also an important reason for Leverkusen to remain patient.

Maza is not approaching the final years of his contract. He still has four seasons remaining after the current campaign, meaning the German club does not have to react to outside interest simply because Premier League clubs are watching.

For now, there is no indication that Die Werkself are actively looking to sell. But that is exactly the issue for Bayer. This level of attention does not necessarily force them into a transfer, but it can make another important piece of business considerably more difficult.

According to our sources, Leverkusen are already working on extending Maza's contract. Premier League interest could make those negotiations significantly more complicated, however. Clubs such as Manchester City and Arsenal can potentially offer the Algerian gem considerably higher wages, while also presenting the opportunity to compete for major domestic and European titles.

That gives Maza leverage Leverkusen would rather not have to deal with.

The longer the Premier League giants remain interested, and the more prominent Maza becomes at Leverkusen, the harder it could become for Bayer to convince him that extending his stay is the obvious next step.

Leverkusen may not be forced to sell Maza.

But Manchester City and Arsenal could make it much harder for them to convince him to stay.