Born in a suburb of Paris, Loïc Badé played for Paris FC as a teenager before joining Le Havre at the age of 17. He made his professional debut in France's second division for the Normandy club in January 2020. At the end of that season the central defender joined RC Lens, then just promoted to the top-flight, where he quickly became a first choice making 31 league appearances including 29 starts.
Badé came to the attention of Stade Rennes thanks to his impressive first season in Ligue 1 and they signed him in the summer of 2021. After a season in Brittany, he went on loan to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, six months later – also on loan – he joined FC Sevilla. The right-footer made 19 out of a possible 23 league appearances for the team from southern Spain and he played in two cup ties and six games in the Europa League – including winning the UEFA competition.
After that successful loan spell, FC Sevilla signed Badé permanently in the summer of 2023 and since then the central defender played 93 games for the Andalusian team including in the UEFA Champions League.
Badé also has a lot of experience on the international stage. After his time with the France U21s he was in the squad for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris playing in all the matches in the tournament that ended with him and his teammates losing to Spain in extra time in the final. In the end he received a silver medal.
Badé made his full international debut under France coach Didier Deschamps at the start of June of this year. The new Leverkusen signing played in the game for third place in the UEFA Nations League for the full 90 minutes as he helped to keep a clean sheet in a 2-0 win.
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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