Manchester City transfer target Ibrahim Maza
Manchester City transfer target Ibrahim Maza
Manchester City have Bayer Leverkusen’s Ibrahim Maza on their agenda for the summer.
In April 2025, Sport Witness relayed news that the Premier League club were keen, but the Bundesliga side were successful in signing him from Hertha Berlin last summer.
Manchester City are back in the mix for the attacking midfielder. Last week, we covered a surprise claim of Bayer Leverkusen rejecting an offer from the Etihad club.
The 20-year-old has scored five goals and contributed six assists from 39 matches so far in his debut season.
His league stats are as follows:
Appearances: 24
Starts: 16
Total minutes: 1,533
Minutes per game: 54
Goals: 3
Assists: 3
Big chances created: 8
Big chances missed: 5
Manchester City interest backed up
The English club are looking to sign the Bayer Leverkusen youngster in the next window. That’s according to Africa Foot and their title says: ‘Ibrahim Maza, Pep Guardiola’s New Obsession’.
Manchester City made an initial attempt with a €50m bid and Bayer Leverkusen turned it down. The latter are refusing to sell, which indicates his importance to their project.
The Citizens aren’t willing to give up and are ‘preparing a major offensive’ to secure his services.
Guardiola’s side are willing to offer €65m plus a 5% sell-on clause to convince the German club. Should Manchester City launch this attempt, Bayer Leverkusen would have to make another decision.
Scout responds to Manchester City links
Africa Foot also spoke to former Bayer Leverkusen scout Karim Matmour to get his views on Ibrahim Maza.
The outlet asks whether he was involved in the player’s arrival. He said, “Recruitment is always the result of a collective effort within a dedicated team. In Leverkusen, everyone agreed: Ibrahim was destined for a very bright future. The club is renowned for its ability to unearth hidden gems, and he ticked all the boxes for a future star.”
The former Algeria international refused to give advice to his compatriot over his future when asked about the Manchester City links.
“That’s a very personal feeling. Only he knows if he feels ready or not. Technically, given his adaptability, I think he has the level to join a top club this summer. It’s a question of timing,” Matmour explained.
“What reassures me is that he’s a level-headed young man; he’s not the type to rush things, and he has a great support system. Spending another season at Leverkusen to consolidate his skills and boost his confidence could also be an excellent choice.”
When quizzed whether Maza has a profile that suits Pep Guardiola’s system, he added: “I prefer not to comment on specific rumours, as the transfer market is often full of speculation. What I can say is that he has the ability and game intelligence to adapt to any big club in the world, whether in Spain or England. His talent knows no bounds.”
Contract, value and agent info
Ibrahim Maza will have four years left on his contract after this season. His value, as per Transfermarkt, is €40m.
British agency CAA Stellar, who also manage Manchester City’s Rayan Aït-Nouri and Omar Marmoush, are representing the Bayer Leverkusen star.