Bernd Leno pens new deal to 2020

The Germany keeper signed a contract to 30 June 2020, "because I feel at home here in Leverkusen. Over the past few years I've seen constant improvement, not just with my game, but in the whole team and am completely convinced that this is the right step for me," said Leno. "This club has set itself very ambitious targets and I share them too."

The sporting director Rudi Völler believes the agreement with the 24-year-old is "incredibly important. Bernd has always believed in our club – and we in him too – and we took him on as a 19-year-old from the third division to become our regular first choice keeper," declared Völler. "He's a player that wants to go places with us. So I'm very happy that we were able to extend his contract."

CEO Michael Schade also sees the agreement with Leno as "an enormously important factor in building a Werkself team for the future. Bernd is a great goalkeeper," added Schade. "For the past five years he's proved this week by week, game by game. In the truest sense of the word we have secured the services of an exceptional shot-stopper over the long term."

With this successful move in building the squad head coach Roger Schmidt has secured another key position following the contract extensions with Karim Bellarabi and Wendell: "In spite of his youth Bernd has established himself as a key player for Bayer 04, is improving year by year and deservedly a key part of the Germany senior side," said Schmidt. "He's a complete goalkeeper even if he has the potential to improve even further. When you can secure a key player like that then it's a good sign for the club and for us as a team."