Bosz is happy his players were able to switch off for a few days over Christmas and New Year. “It’s also good for clearing your mind,” said the Dutchman who was pleased to welcome his players back to the training pitch at Leverkusen: “That’s important. We’re flying out to the training camp tomorrow and then we only have a couple of days before the Bundesliga gets going again.” The Black and Reds are away to SC Paderborn 07 on Sunday 19 January (kick-off: 18.00 CET).
In the first training session of the new year, Bosz and Co. focussed passing and shooting after the warm-up routine with and without the ball. It was clear to see that the Werkself players were happy to be back on the pitch. 17 outfield players and four goalkeepers took part in the session including Lars Bender and Mitchell Weiser who completed a first full training session after returning from injury.
The South Americans Lucas Alario, Charles Aránguiz, Wendell, new signing Exequiel Palacios plus the Jamaican Leon Bailey were absent. “They’re flying straight to the training camp and will join us on Sunday,” said Bosz who is looking to mainly use the time in Spain “to talk to the players a lot and prepare well. Most of the players know our style of play very well but we want to keep on working on it and make slight adjustments. We can improve in all areas and if we can get a bit better across the board then can be worth a lot put together.”
Paulinho will not travel to Spain. The Brazilian striker is with his country’s Olympic team preparing for the qualifying tournament in Tokyo from 18 January to 9 February.
Asked about the winter signing Palacios, who will train with the Werkself squad for the first time in La Manga, Bosz explained: “He will get time. It will be important for him to get used to Europe, Germany, the Bundesliga, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, the language – those are lots of changes. We saw a similar situation with Moussa Diaby where it also took a bit longer.”
After the training session, Bayer 04 head coach talked about a possible contract extension with his current deal due to end in the summer: “Since I started here, I’ve always said I’m very happy. It’s fun working here. We’ll talk at the training camp. This issue doesn’t need to take months.”
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.
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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.
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Bayer 04 have loaned defender Jeanuel Belocian to Spanish top-flight side Racing Santander. The 21-year-old defender joins the team currently ninth in La Liga until the end of the current 2026/27 season. Belocian’s contract remains valid until 30 June 2029. Last season, the 1.86-metre-tall U21 international was loaned to VfL Wolfsburg for six months.
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He knows the dressing room, the pitch and the club. But, above all, he knows the feeling of playing for the Werkself at the BayArena: Moussa Diaby is back in Leverkusen after three years. The lightning-fast winger has signed a contract with Bayer 04 until 2031 and he will once again wear the number 19 jersey. The left-footed player previously played for the club from 2019 to 2023, having arrived in the Rhineland from his native France as a promising young talent and eventually leaving the club – having established himself as one of the Bundesliga’s best attackers – to join Aston Villa in the Premier League. Now he has returned to Bayer 04 from Al-Ittihad FC in Saudi Arabia.
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