"Rafaela Borggräfe has developed into a top keeper over many years in Freiburg and has also gained international experience by moving to another top league," said Achim Feifel, Bayer 04 Women sporting director: "After some injury-related concerns in this position, she now completes our goalkeeper team, so we are well prepared for the challenges in the coming months."
Borggräfe played for SC Freiburg from 2013 to 2024, interrupted by a one-year loan to FC Aarau in Switzerland in 2020/21. She has played a total of 59 Bundesliga matches for Freiburg since making her debut in 2021 and reached the DFB Pokal final in 2019 and 2023. Last summer, the 25-year-old signed for Liverpool, where she made four appearances. She progressed through all the Germany youth teams and was selected for the senior national team for the first time in December 2024. Borggräfe was also in the extended squad for Euro 2025.
"I'm really looking forward to my time at Bayer 04 and to concentrating fully on our joint targets," says Borggräfe: "I want to take on responsibility here and play my part in the team's success."
The German Football League (DFL) has announced the three candidates for the title of Bundesliga Rookie of the Month for January. That includes Werkself player Jarell Quansah. Fans of Bayer 04 can vote for their favourite on the Bundesliga app from now until Thursday, 5 January (23:59 CET).
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The Leverkusen eSports team picked up valuable points and made up ground in the overall table with a top four finish in the offline round in Showdown 4 in the VBL Club Championship 2025/26. In the round of 16, Showdown 1 winners Bayer 04 defeated the unbeaten runners-up in the previous round, VfL Bochum, in a thrilling penalty shoot-out. The Landwehr cousins, themselves the current club runners-up, then beat the current club champions and Showdown 3 winners RB Leipzig. It was not until the semi-finals that they lost out to the eventual showdown winners Borussia Mönchengladbach.
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Bayer 04 have agreed a loan move for U19s striker Ken Izekor to join Bundesliga 2 club Eintracht Braunschweig on loan for the rest of the 2025/26 season.
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Bayer 04 have agreed a loan deal for Jeanuel Belocian to join fellow Bundesliga club Wolfsburg on loan until the end of the season. The 20-year-old defender’s contract in Leverkusen runs until 30 June 2029.
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Bayer 04 have recalled Tim Oermann from his loan at Sturm Graz and will now include the centre-back in the team’s plans for the rest of the 2025/26 season. The Germany U21 international signed for the Werkself from Bochum in summer 2025 on a contract until 30 June 2029.
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