Ibo Maza: Guardiola’s Next Target from Bundesliga
Manchester City know this terrain well. When Pep Guardiola goes shopping in the Bundesliga, he rarely comes back empty-handed.
Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig for €90 million in 2023. Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund a year before that, a transfer that reshaped the Premier League. Now the gaze is drifting towards Leverkusen and a 22-year-old attacking midfielder who has quietly turned himself into one of Europe’s most intriguing prospects: Ibo Maza.
A vacancy in City’s midfield
The timing is no coincidence. Bernardo Silva, the heartbeat of City’s midfield since 2017, is heading for the exit. His contract is running down, and the club has decided not to extend. That leaves a creative void in Guardiola’s structure, a space for a player who can both knit play and break lines.
Maza fits the profile. Technically sharp, tactically disciplined, and increasingly decisive in the final third, he has risen at remarkable speed since joining Bayer Leverkusen from second-tier Hertha BSC last summer for €12 million. What looked like a smart, medium-risk punt has turned into one of the bargains of the German market.
He did not just blend in. He accelerated past the competition. Within months he had secured a starting role and become a fixture in Xabi Alonso’s side. Five goals and six assists in 38 appearances for the Werkself tell part of the story; his importance to Leverkusen’s attacking rhythm tells the rest.
A familiar agency, a familiar route
City also sense a practical advantage. Maza is represented by the same agency that handled Omar Marmoush’s move from Eintracht Frankfurt to Manchester in early 2025. Those channels are open, the trust already built. In a market where relationships can shave weeks off negotiations, that matters.
Guardiola’s track record in Germany only sharpens the focus. Gvardiol and Haaland have both become central pillars of his side. City believe they understand the Bundesliga talent pool, the physical demands, the tactical schooling. Maza would not be a leap into the unknown.
But this is no simple raid on a willing seller.
Leverkusen dig in
Maza is under contract at Bayer until 2030. That long deal gives Leverkusen real leverage, and they are not shy about using it. The club see him as a cornerstone of their medium-term project, not a trading chip.
Sporting director Simon Rolfes underlined that stance publicly in March on Sport1’s “Doppelpass”. Asked about the possibility of bringing Julian Brandt back from Borussia Dortmund on a free transfer this summer, Rolfes shut the door and, in doing so, nailed his colours to Maza.
“We have a superb player in that position in Ibo Maza, who will develop excellently over the coming years. For that reason, Julian will not be on our radar,” he said.
The message was clear: Leverkusen already have their playmaker, and they intend to build around him.
That has not stopped the suitors. AC Milan and Atlético Madrid have both been linked in recent weeks. Leverkusen’s stance is firm but not entirely inflexible: they are said to be willing to talk only if an offer hits their €45 million valuation. Anything less, and the conversation ends before it starts.
A rising international profile
Maza’s appeal is not confined to club football. His international story has added another layer to the interest.
Born in Berlin, he came through the DFB youth system, representing Germany from U18 to U20 level. His background is as complex as it is modern: a father from Algeria, a mother from Vietnam, and a footballing education in Germany’s academies.
When the time came to choose his senior national team, he turned to Algeria. He made his debut in October 2024 and used the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year as a launchpad. Strong performances there have quickly elevated him into one of Algeria’s great hopes for the upcoming World Cup.
That tournament could change everything. Algeria have landed in a demanding group with defending champions Argentina, a disciplined Austria side and Jordan. It is a route that offers no guarantees, but it does offer a stage. If Maza shines against that level of opposition, Leverkusen’s €45 million line in the sand may start to look conservative.
The stakes ahead
For now, Leverkusen hold the cards: a long contract, a key player, a clear sporting plan. City, Milan and Atlético are watching, calculators in hand, waiting to see what this summer’s World Cup does to both the player’s price and his ambitions.
Guardiola has already shown he can turn Bundesliga standouts into Premier League stars. The question now is whether City move early, betting on Maza before the rest of the market catches up, or whether they are forced into a bidding war for a midfielder whose value – and profile – is climbing with every game he plays for club and country.
