Manchester City Target Ibo Maza from Leverkusen
Manchester City know this terrain well. When Pep Guardiola goes shopping in the Bundesliga, he tends to come back with the league’s most coveted talent and a sizeable dent in the transfer market. Ibo Maza could be next.
With Bernardo Silva heading for the exit and his contract running down, City are bracing for the end of an era in their midfield. The Portuguese playmaker has been central to Guardiola’s side since 2017, a metronome and match-winner rolled into one. His departure leaves a gap that cannot be filled by just anyone. It needs a player with invention, courage on the ball, and the personality to handle the weight of expectation.
In Leverkusen, City see one.
Maza’s rapid rise at Leverkusen
Maza only arrived at Bayer Leverkusen last summer, stepping up from second-tier Hertha BSC for a fee of twelve million euros. It looked like a smart, long-term move at the time. It now looks like a steal.
He didn’t ease his way in. He forced his way in. The attacking midfielder climbed the hierarchy quickly, nailed down a starting spot and has become a fixture in a side that demands intensity and intelligence in equal measure. Across 38 appearances for the Werkself, he has produced five goals and six assists, numbers that only tell part of the story of his influence between the lines.
Leverkusen see him as central to their future, not a trading chip. His contract runs until 2030, a statement in itself, and internally they talk about him as a cornerstone, not a prospect.
Sporting director Simon Rolfes underlined that conviction in mid-March on Sport1’s “Doppelpass”. Asked about a potential return for Julian Brandt, who is set to leave Borussia Dortmund on a free this summer, Rolfes shut the door. “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.”
That was more than a compliment. It was a clear signal to the market: Leverkusen already have their man.
City’s Bundesliga blueprint
Signals rarely scare City off. They have a blueprint for this league and they trust it.
In 2022, they triggered Erling Haaland’s move from Borussia Dortmund, reshaping their attack with a striker who changed the geometry of every game he played. A year later, they went back for Josko Gvardiol, paying €90 million to RB Leipzig for a defender whose left foot and composure fit Guardiola’s system perfectly.
They also know how to work the relationships around a deal. One potential advantage in the chase for Maza lies off the pitch: the Algerian international is represented by the same agency as former Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush, whom City managed to lure away from Frankfurt in early 2025. Those existing lines of communication matter when the numbers get serious and the competition stiffens.
And the competition is already circling.
European giants on alert
Maza’s emergence has not gone unnoticed across the continent. AC Milan and Atlético Madrid have both been linked in recent weeks, drawn by his blend of creativity, work rate and versatility across the attacking midfield line.
Leverkusen, though, are not in a hurry to cash in. The message from the BayArena is straightforward: they will talk only if a club is prepared to meet their €45 million valuation. Anything below that, and the answer is simple.
For now, the stance is defiant. They want to keep him in the Rhineland, build around him, and let his value rise on their watch rather than someone else’s.
That rise could accelerate very soon.
A new face of Algeria’s World Cup hopes
Born in Berlin to an Algerian father and Vietnamese mother, Maza grew up inside the German system. He came through the DFB youth ranks, representing Germany from U18 through to U20 level. The pathway to the senior side seemed open.
He chose a different road.
Maza switched allegiance to the Algerian Football Federation and made his senior debut for Algeria in October 2024. The decision has already reshaped his international profile. Strong performances at the Africa Cup of Nations a few months ago pushed him to the forefront of Algerian hopes, and his role this summer will be even bigger.
Algeria face a brutal World Cup group: defending champions Argentina, an awkward, well-drilled Austria, and Jordan, the supposed outsider but no soft touch at this level. There will be little margin for error, little room to hide.
For Maza, it is the perfect stage. A young playmaker, already vital for his club, now asked to carry a nation’s creative burden against the world champions and a European dark horse. Shine there, and a €45 million price tag might start to look conservative.
City will be watching. So will Milan. So will Atlético.
The question is not whether Ibo Maza is ready for the next step. It is which club dares to make it with him.
