
"We've got a young team with lots of promise and we want to keep them together. The fact we convinced Jonathan to stick with us says a lot for everybody involved," said CEO Michael Schade.
Jonathan Tah joined Bayer 04 in 2015 from Hamburg SV. The 1.94 metre central defender has made 112 appearances for the Werkself in domestic and European competitions and made his full international debut for Germany. Sporting director Rudi Völler: "Jonathan has progressed fantastically at Leverkusen, exceeded our expectations and is now one of the top German defenders. A number of top clubs have shown an interest in him. It's a big success for Bayer 04 that he's decided to extend his stay at the club. Jonathan knows what he's got at Leverkusen and he'd like to take the next steps in his career here."
Head coach Heiko Herrlich is looking forward to continuing to work with the number four: "Jona has outstanding assets. He's quick, technically strong, has great physical strength, is calm and has vision. But he still feels he has room for improvement. He will bring us a lot of pleasure and have fun."
The player takes a similar view: I've always said I really feel at home in Leverkusen. The club and the rest are perfect for me. I became a full international at Bayer 04 and I can develop at the highest level here. We can achieve a lot with this young team. And I want to play my part," said Jonathan Tah.

New signing Miguel Gutiérrez arrives in Leverkusen having won the Champions League, the Spanish league title and an Olympic gold medal. However, the 25-year-old Spaniard, signed from Napoli, is looking to the future – he wants to write the next chapter of success with the Werkself. Bayer04.de takes a closer look at the skilful, attack-minded left-back, who will wear the number 3 jersey.
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The Werkself's training camp in Weimarer Land all in one place: in our daily blog you'll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day three (Tuesday 4 August) begins with a thorough open session on the pitch. After lunch, some players have media engagements at the team hotel, and then the team come together for a barbecue in the evening.
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Nine matches against teams from nine countries, two penalty shoot-outs won, and encounters that went far beyond football: As with last year, the Inklusionswerkself enjoyed an extraordinary week at the Genuine Cup 2026 in Houston, USA, and made memories that will last a lifetime. This year, the Leverkusen side took part as Germany’s official representatives and, accordingly, took to the pitch in Germany kit. Together with 53 teams from 53 nations, the Black and Reds once again sent a powerful message of inclusion and participation – and also impressed on the pitch by winning their group.
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The Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land all in one place: in our daily blog, you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. The programme for day two (Monday, 3 August) centres on two training sessions – one in the morning (open to the public) and one in the early evening (behind closed doors) – at the nearby training grounds. In the afternoon, fans can look forward to a big fan meet-up with club legend Paulo Sergio at Schloss Blankenhain.
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