
There was already good news in the camp before Stefan Kießling, Lars Bender & Co. started on the ergometers in the Werkstatt at the BayArena. Youngster Kai Havertz will continue his career at the club he has played for since he was child having agreed a contract extension to 2022. Bayer 04 retain one of Germany's most talented youngsters and a homegrown lad at that.
The performance tests go on until Tuesday and on Wednesday at 10.30 Heiko Herrlich holds his first training session as the Bayer 04 head coach to hopefully start a successful season. There is great anticipation amongst the players. "After the last game of the season in Berlin some of the players came to me and said it can't go on like this," said Jonas Boldt in a media conference on Monday. Everybody at Leverkusen is looking to be positive going into the new season. "I'm not sceptical at all. The most important thing for us is to play as a team again in games," added the Bayer 04 sporting manager.
Internationals set to return
Heiko Herrlich is not yet able to work with his Germany trio Bernd Leno, Julian Brandt and Benny Henrichs as they are on a deserved holiday after winning the Confed Cup. The same applies to Charles Aránguiz who was on the losing side with Chile in the 1-0 defeat in the final against Germany, as well as Chicharito whose Mexico team finished in fourth place. And returnee Dominik Kohr is also enjoying a break after winning the European Championship title with the Germany U21s. All six pros are due to rejoin the squad at the training camp in Zell am See/Kaprun.
The first friendly of the season against SF Baumberg, due to be played on Saturday 8 July, had to be postponed after a fire in the stand in the Jahn Stadium in Langenfeld. Bayer 04 are currently involved in discussions to arrange an alternative friendly against opposition of a similar level.

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).
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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.
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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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