Maza's Future: Premier League Giants Eye €70m Bayer Leverkusen Star

The battle for Maza is no longer a whisper in scouting circles. It’s a full-blown tug-of-war across Europe.

Arsenal and Manchester United have been on him the longest from the Premier League, tracking his every touch since he landed at the BayArena. But their head start is shrinking fast. Manchester City and Atletico Madrid have now joined the chase, keeping a direct line open to the player’s camp as they monitor any hint that Bayer Leverkusen might be willing to talk.

Leverkusen, though, are in no mood to be pushed around.

A €70m statement

Maza’s move from Hertha BSC to Leverkusen in the summer of 2025 already looks like one of the smartest pieces of business the German champions have made in recent years. The Algerian international has exploded since arriving, his reputation swelling with every performance as clips of his playmaking ripple across the continent.

Leverkusen know exactly what they have. The 20-year-old is locked into a contract until June 2030, a deal that hands the Werkself all the leverage they need. No release clause, no looming expiry, no panic.

So they’ve drawn a line in the sand.

According to Fussball News, the German side have put a price tag of up to €70m on their young midfielder. It’s not just a valuation; it’s a message. Pay the premium for a player already delivering at a high level, or walk away and watch him grow from afar.

The fee reflects both what Maza is now and what he could become. And that’s exactly why the suitors keep coming.

Premier League giants hunting creativity

Despite the hefty asking price, the interest from England refuses to fade. Arsenal and United, both desperate to sharpen their edge in the final third, see Maza as the kind of player who can change the rhythm of a game with a single pass.

Mikel Arteta wants more ingenuity between the lines, more players who can slip through tight defensive blocks rather than just run into them. At Old Trafford, the recruitment team is under pressure to find a long-term solution who brings craft, not just chaos, to the attacking structure.

Maza fits that brief almost too well.

He thrives in the number ten role, occupying pockets of space, turning on the half-turn, threading passes that others don’t even see. But he’s not locked into that position. He can drop deeper as a central midfielder, help with build-up, or drift wide to overload the flanks. That flexibility makes him even more attractive to elite coaches who demand tactical adaptability.

Pace, flair and big-stage composure

It’s not just the eye test that’s drawing clubs in. Analysts love him too.

Maza carries a rare blend of acceleration and flair. He glides past markers, but he doesn’t dribble for the sake of it. There’s purpose in his movement, a clear sense of when to burst, when to pause, when to release. Combine that with sharp vision and he becomes a constant, nagging danger around the box.

His profile is already bolstered by international experience. At just 20, he has earned 21 caps for Algeria and scored twice, proving he can handle the intensity and expectation of representing his country. That kind of exposure at a young age matters to clubs spending big money; it shows temperament as much as talent.

A career-defining decision

The noise around his future will only grow from here. Arsenal, United, City, Atletico — these are not clubs that hover politely on the sidelines. Once they commit, they push.

For Maza, the pull of the Premier League is obvious. The global spotlight, the week-in, week-out intensity, the chance to test himself against some of the best in the world. But there’s a risk baked into that dream: becoming just another gifted youngster swallowed by a star-studded bench.

At his age, nothing is more important than minutes. Real minutes. Not cameos, not cup rotations. If he leaves the Bundesliga, he will need more than a glossy presentation and a handshake. He will need a clear path into the starting XI and a footballing project that matches his technical, expressive style.

Leverkusen can offer that continuity and a platform where he is already central to the plan. The giants circling him can offer scale, prestige, and the chance to accelerate his rise.

The question now is simple, and brutal: does he chase the badge, or the ball?