Chelsea in pole position to acquire Bayer Leverkusen prospect Kerim Alajbegovic

Chelsea in pole position to acquire Bayer Leverkusen prospect Kerim Alajbegovic Bosnian online portal Faktor – as relayed by transfermarkt.de – reports that Chelsea are in pole position to acquire Bayer Leverkusen attacking prospect Kerim Alajbegovic. Kicker also lends credence to a report initially surfacing in Britain’s Telegraph concerning the youngster’s next possible destination. The German publication even claims the 18-year-old has already lodged a transfer request. As noted in a recent Get German Football News piece on Alajbegovic , Leverkusen have no qualms about selling the youngster despite the fact that he was only recently re-acquired from RB Salzburg. Matters could proceed quickly in this case. Why are Leverkusen willing to sell Kerim Alajbegovic? Leverkusen originally sold the Köln-native to Red Bull Salzburg for approximately €2m in July 2025. The arrangement allowed the Bundesliga club to retain control over his future through a buyback clause. Alajbegovic subsequently enjoyed an excellent breakthrough year in Austria and represented Bosnia and Herzegovina at the World Cup. By November 2025, the versatile attacker had already scored six goals and supplied one assist in 21 appearances across all competitions. His estimated market value, which stood at €5m last autumn, has since risen to €22m. Leverkusen once planned to make Alajbegovic a pillar of their summer 2026 rebuild . The club now appears willing to complete a rapid and potentially lucrative flip before he makes his senior debut for Germany’s red company team. Injury concerns involving Eliesse Ben Seghir have not altered that stance. Kicker correspondent Stephan van Nocks reports that Leverkusen remain open to cashing in on Alajbegovic. His ability to work on either wing or in a centralized attacking role should ensure that Chelsea face competition should they formalize their interest. GGFN  |  Peter Weis