
"In Kerem Demirbay we have gained a technically skilled and strategic midfielder who can also score goals," said Bayer 04 sporting director Simon Rolfes. "Kerim was an absolute key player at Hoffenheim and he will be an important factor for us in meeting our targets next season," added Rolfes.
For Demirbay, who joined Hoffenheim in 2016 from Hamburg SV, the move is: "The next step after three really great years at TSG. Bayer 04 have always played attractive, attacking football," declared the 25-year-old. "That style suits me and I'm really looking forward to being part of this team."
Sporting managing director Rudi Völler underlined that Demirbay's signing is "a clear signal of our ambitions. We have big plans for next season but first we want to qualify for European competition," said Völler. "For, hopefully, three competitions we need top players like Kerem Demirbay.

The German Football League (DFL) has announced the three candidates for the title of Bundesliga Rookie of the Month for January. That includes Werkself player Jarell Quansah. Fans of Bayer 04 can vote for their favourite on the Bundesliga app from now until Thursday, 5 January (23:59 CET).
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As in the past two years, the Werkself are aiming to come out on top in the DFB Pokal quarter-finals on Tuesday night, 3 February (kick-off: 20:45 CET). With eleven home games in a row without defeat against the Kiezkicker, the Black and Reds go into the floodlit match in confident mood. But the Pokal, as is often said, has its own magic and the team from the Millerntor has much more to offer than the current 17th place in the Bundesliga would suggest. After all, Bayer 04 are one of the big German teams the combative Hamburgers have already made life difficult for this season. The matchday news.
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The Leverkusen eSports team picked up valuable points and made up ground in the overall table with a top four finish in the offline round in Showdown 4 in the VBL Club Championship 2025/26. In the round of 16, Showdown 1 winners Bayer 04 defeated the unbeaten runners-up in the previous round, VfL Bochum, in a thrilling penalty shoot-out. The Landwehr cousins, themselves the current club runners-up, then beat the current club champions and Showdown 3 winners RB Leipzig. It was not until the semi-finals that they lost out to the eventual showdown winners Borussia Mönchengladbach.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen have strengthened the goalkeeper position for the second half of the season. Germany keeper Rafaela Borggräfe has joined the Werkself on loan from English FA Women's Super League (WSL) club Liverpool until the end of the season.
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Bayer 04 have agreed a loan move for U19s striker Ken Izekor to join Bundesliga 2 club Eintracht Braunschweig on loan for the rest of the 2025/26 season.
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