Eight Bayer Leverkusen stars tipped to follow Xabi Alonso out this summer: Man Utd, Liverpool targets; Chelsea striker fancy

Bayer Leverkusen are riding high at the top of the Bundesliga and several of their stars have been tipped to move to the Premier League, with Man Utd, Man City, Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea among the clubs vying for €500m worth of talent.

With managerial vacancies opening up at some of the biggest clubs in Europe this summer, Xabi Alonso is a man in high demand.

And understandably so. The former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder has guided Leverkusen to the top of the Bundesliga table while maintaining an unbeaten record.

But Alonso is not the only figure at Leverkusen receiving admiring glances from the Continent’s top sides.

Here are eight Leverkusen players linked with big-money summer moves who could follow Alonso out the BayArena exit door.

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Florian Wirtz

The fresh young face of Alonso’s high-flying Leverkusen side, 20-year-old Wirtz has been outstanding for the German league leaders this season.

Operating as one of the two inside forwards behind striker Victor Boniface in Alonso’s 3-4-3 system, Wirtz has the speed, skill and vision to carve open opposition defences as dribbler or passer, scorer or creator, as evidenced by his return of five goals and nine assists.

Tipped to follow Alonso to Anfield should the Basque boss elect to assume the hotseat Jurgen Klopp will vacate at the end of the season, while also reportedly wanted by Manchester City and Real Madrid, Leverkusen’s young star will not come cheaply – the Bundesliga club are said to want £111million (€130m) for the 14-cap Germany international.

Victor Boniface

One of the revelations of Leverkusen’s title charge, Nigerian striker Boniface has taken the Bundesliga by storm since a move from Belgian side Union SG last summer.

With his quick feet, pace on the turn and powerful finishing technique, the 23-year-old has scored a staggering 16 goals and provided eight assists at the point of Alonso’s Bayer 04 attack this term.

West Ham reportedly weighed up a club-record move for Boniface in January, while Chelsea are said to view the breakout Bundesliga star as an alternative to top target and fellow Nigerian Victor Osimhen this summer.

Jonathan Tah

Regarded as one of Europe’s brightest young defenders upon his breakthrough with Hamburg more than a decade ago, Tah has been a stalwart of the Leverkusen backline since joining the club for €7.5 million back in 2015.

Now 28 and with 21 senior caps for Germany, the 6ft 5ins Tah has long established himself as one of the most dominant, powerful and technically gifted centre-backs in the Bundesliga.

Tottenham, West Ham and Bayern Munich are all reportedly chasing Tah, whose contract at the BayArena is set to expire at the end of next season.

Edmond Tapsoba

Another member of Leverkusen’s rear guard with the physical and technical skills to thrive in the Premier League is 6ft 4ins Burkina Faso international Tapsoba.

The 25-year-old has been with Leverkusen for four years now, after arriving from Vitoria de Guimaraes in Portugal for €7million in January 2020. This season, his ability to carry the ball forward and pass between the opposition’s lines has been key to the way Alonso has instructed his side to play.

Leverkusen’s dependency on Tapsoba is reflected in the £42million (€50m) price tag they have reportedly slapped on the player amid rumoured interest from Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea.

Jeremie Frimpong

Former Celtic player Frimpong has emerged as one of Europe’s most dynamic young wing-backs since a 2021 move to Leverkusen. Consistent as both a scorer and creator this term, he has already notched an impressive return of nine goals and six assists for the unbeaten Bundesliga pace-setters.

Reportedly valued at around £34million, the 23-year-old Dutchman is another BayArena star whom Manchester United are said to be monitoring closely. However, it seems Frimpong prefers a move to the Red Devils’ bitter north-west rivals.

“Liverpool? Great club, with history,” he recently told Ziggo Sport when asked about the rumoured Anfield interest. “That would be great. Who knows what the future will bring.”

Piero Hincapie

When it comes to the staffing of their backline, Leverkusen certainly seem to have a type.

Signed from Telleres in his native Ecuador back in 2021, Hincapie fits the defensive bill at the BayArena as a six-footer who is comfortable with the ball at his feet and, able to play as a centre-back or left-back, possesses valuable versatility.

The 22-year-old has been a reported Liverpool target since before Klopp’s decision to step down from the Anfield helm, and Alonso is believed to be keen to take the £51million-rated defender with him if his assumes the soon-to-be-vacant Merseyside post.

Odilon Kossounou

Yet another Leverkusen centre-back as skilled as he is physically dominant to be attracting Premier League attention is the 6ft 3ins Kossounou.

The 23-year-old typically features on the right side of Alonso’s back three where, like Tapsoba, his crisp, incisive passing and fearless ball-carrying ability make him a key figure in how Leverkusen build attacks from deep.

Kossounou completes a four-man Leverkusen wish list Manchester United have reportedly drawn up as they begin their INEOS-led rebuild, but they face competition from Tottenham for the £43m-rated Ivory Coast star.

Alex Grimaldo

Signed on a free from Benfica last summer, Grimaldo’s exceptional return of 10 goals and 10 assists so far this season from the left wing-back position makes the former Barcelona academy standout one of the best signings in recent Bundesliga history.

A set-piece specialist with one of the most consistently dangerous left-foot deliveries in Europe, the 28-year-old Spain international has been a reported target for Manchester City and Arsenal in the past and he has recently spoken of a desire to someday return to Barcelona.

“I have always said that Barca is a club to which I could return,” he said. “That is, I would like to return because it is Barca. In the end, I grew up there as a player and I was very happy to have been in their quarry.”

With his performances down Leverkusen’s left side and his staggering productivity this season, several summer suitors are likely to emerge.