Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen have Brighton and Hove Albion manager Fabian Hürzeler firmly in their sights alongside Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner.
SportBILD report that the German side are using this international break to map out their long-term direction as they look set to part ways with manager Kasper Hjulmand.
As in previous years, Leverkusen have used the March international break to their advantage, and the managerial situation sits at the centre of discussions.
Two names have emerges as the club’s clear priorities: Brighton’s Fabian Hürzeler and Crystal Palace’s departing manager Oliver Glasner.
Hürzeler’s release clause makes him a bargain
According to SportBILD, Fabian Hürzeler has a release clause in his Brighton contract — and crucially, it is below €15m this summer. That figure is significantly cheaper than the €20m‑plus fee Leverkusen balked at in 2025.
The 33-year-old has, reportedly, already signalled that he is open to leaving England at the end of the season. He wants to coach a team in Europe, and his target is the Champions League.
Leverkusen are currently sixth in the Bundesliga and chasing fourth place, so the opportunity may be there.
Why Hürzeler appeals to Leverkusen
Fabian Hürzeler has been on Bayer Leverkusen’s radar for a while. They tracked him during his rapid rise at FC St. Pauli, who he took from 15th in the 2. Bundesliga to promotion in just 17 months.
His reputation as a player developer and team-building specialist has only grown in the Premier League with Brighton.
Even a poor run of form this season, in which Brighton won just one in 13, dropping from fifth to 14th, hasn’t stopped Leverkusen’s interest. They’ve instead focused on how Hürzeler has stabilised Brighton since and pushed them back into the top half.
That resilience, and his ability to develop and elevate young squads, is exactly what they want.
Glasner: proven success, Premier League preference
Oliver Glasner, meanwhile, will leave Crystal Palace at the end of the season.
His CV is exceptional; there’s Champions League qualification with Wolfsburg, a Europa League triumph at Eintracht Frankfurt and Crystal Palace’s historic FA Cup win last season.
Leverkusen have admired him for years, but there is a catch. Glasner reportedly sees his future more in the Premier League than the Bundesliga. He was once the leading candidate for Manchester United, but Michael Carrick’s reign may have changed that.
Still, he appears to prefer the Premier League at this point in his career and may need convincing after leaving Crystal Palace.
Leverkusen ready to open talks
Both managers were considered in previous cycles, and both remain highly rated internally. With Fabian Hürzeler now more affordable an Oliver Glasner’s future uncertain, Leverkusen are expected to restart discussions that began nearly two years ago.
A summer change at the German club feels increasingly inevitable. The only question is which direction they will choose. Their aim is to return to the Champions League and compete for the title again by 2028.
Will it be Brighton’s manager, or Crystal Palace’s?
🇪🇸 Natan | Bournemouth, West Ham and Crystal Palace ahead of €40m La Liga transfer tusslehttps://t.co/0DRBNektM2 #afcb #whufc #cpfc
— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) April 1, 2026