Official | Bayer Leverkusen loan highly rated prospect Axel Tape (19) to Levante

Official | Bayer Leverkusen loan highly rated prospect Axel Tape (19) to Levante Bayer Leverkusen have officially confirmed that highly rated youngster Axel Tape will spend the 2026/27 season on loan with La Liga side UD Levante. The 19-year-old defender moves to Spain on a one-year agreement designed primarily to provide him with regular first-team football. Neither Leverkusen nor Levante have announced the inclusion of a purchase option, indicating that the French youth international remains firmly part of Bayer’s longer-term plans. Tape joined Leverkusen from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2025 but endured a difficult first season in Germany. Strong competition for places and a number of injury setbacks restricted the versatile defensive player to only six Bundesliga appearances. Leverkusen nevertheless continue to rate Tape highly. Statement on Axel Tape’s departure “We have great hopes for Axel Tape,” Leverkusen Managing Director Simon Rolfes noted in a club statement. “[He] didn’t have the easiest first year due to injuries and strong competition in his position. With his pace, athleticism and great versatility, we definitely see the potential for more in Axel.” Tape can operate both in defense and midfield, with his physical attributes and positional flexibility having made him one of Leverkusen’s more intriguing young prospects. The move to Levante is therefore viewed as a development step rather than the beginning of a permanent departure from the BayArena. Regular minutes in La Liga should provide Tape with the opportunity to continue his development at senior level before returning to Leverkusen next summer. GGFN  |  Peter Weis