The transfer of Noah Mbamba to Bayer Leverkusen is apparently dry. As Transfermarkt insider Fabrizio Romano reports, the 18-year-old defensive midfielder from Club Brugge signed a contract with the Werkself on Thursday.
This applies from the 2023/24 season, but the transfer could possibly still be completed in winter. Corresponding negotiations are in progress.
The ‘kicker’ provides the reason why Leverkusen could prefer the Mbamba deal. According to the specialist magazine, four Premier League clubs were also interested in the 18-year-old – and that for the current January. Chelsea FC and Crystal Palace are mentioned by name.
Had Mbamba opted for one of the four English clubs, Brugge could have taken another fee. As a result, according to ‘kicker’, the Belgians are upset that the player has opted for Bayer over the Premier League quartet.
Will Bruges punish Mbamba?
Officially, the club has nothing in their hands to change that. In terms of sport, however, the young Belgian could be punished. In the current season, Mbamba has only appeared twice in the Jupiler Pro League – last season there were 14 appearances. According to the ‘kicker’, Bruges responded with this form of ejection to the fact that Mbamba did not want to extend his contract in the summer.
If he goes to Bayer on a free transfer in the summer, the conclusion is that he won’t be used for the rest of the season. It would be a wasted year in a career phase in which the 18-year-old actually needs a maximum of match practice. For this reason, Leverkusen could now transfer a fee to Bruges in order to be able to better promote Mbamba’s development.
