"Of course, it's a great story. Emre came through the ranks at Kurtekotten. A striker with an excellent goalscoring instinct," explained Bayer 04 sporting director Simon Rolfes. "He was very prolific in the youth Bundesliga and has already shown his potential with the first team. Now he has the opportunity to carry on developing at a high level. He has the ability and the ambition to achieve that."
Emrehan Gedikli is currently in the Germany U18 squad and has played 43 games and scored 43 goals in the U19 and U17 youth leagues. He made his first-team debut in the Europa League. In the home game against Hapoel Beer Sheva in the group stages, he came on late as a substitute for Karim Bellarabi. He was a substitute away at Nice and he played 45 minutes in the home game against Slavia Prague.
"That's obviously given me a taste for more," said Gedikli, who started a course to become a sports and fitness executive in the summer of 2019 at Bayer 04. "I've got a lot to thank Bayer 04 for. I'd like to pay that back with good performances. I'm passionate about the club and I want to make the grade in professional football."
Following last weekend’s big game against Wolfsburg, Bayer 04 Women face another exciting challenge as they visit Hoffenheim to kick off Matchday 3 in the Google Pixel Bundesliga on Friday (kick-off: 18:30 CEST).
Show more
Under the slogan ‘Holidays without War’, 60 children from war-torn Ukraine took part in the summer camp organised by the German-Ukrainian association Blau-Gelbes Kreuz in Leverkusen and the surrounding area in August. The children aged between 10 and 14 – many of whom have lost their parents in the war – come from the Ukrainian twin towns of Leverkusen, Cologne and Monheim am Rhein: Nikopol, Dnipro and Volodymyr. Bayer 04, Bayer AG and TSV Bayer 04 supported the camp to mark its 10th anniversary, enabling even more children and young people than in previous years to spend a few carefree days’ holiday away from the war in the Rhineland.
Show more
Midfielder Ruby Grant is leaving Bayer 04 Leverkusen and joining Portuguese runners-up Sporting CP a year before her contract expires. The 24-year-old has been at the Werkself since January 2025.
Show more
Bayer 04 have loaned Brazilian full-back Arthur to Bundesliga side Werder Bremen for one year. Arthur Augusto de Matos Soares – the full name of the right-back – has a contract with Leverkusen until 30 June 2031. At Werder, the 23-year-old is expected to make an impact and help the long-established club further consolidate their position in the Bundesliga.
Show more
