Bayer Leverkusen, breakout team last year when they almost completed an unbeaten season putting an end to a eleven-year winning streak by Bayern Munich at the Bundesliga, is also going strong this year, but needs reinforcements if Xabi Alonso wants to stand up against Bayern, who is six points ahead this year, and strive at Champions League.
That is why, in the final week of the winter transfer market, it is expected that the German club will make some signings. One of them, reported by Fabrizio Romano on Sunday, is expected to be Mario Hermoso, Spanish defender, formerly on Atlético de Madrid and now in AS Roma, who could exit as a loan.
But he wouldn't be the only one. Other rumoured players to join Leverkusen include 27-year-old Argentinian Emiliano Buendía, who could also join Bayer from Aston Villa; and Mikayil Faye, former FC Barcelona player currently at Rennes.
On the other side, Romano also reports that Bayer Leverkusen is in talks with Saudi team Al Nassr (the one with Cristiano Ronaldo) to land Nigerian striker Victor Boniface. According to Relevo, Bayer Leverkusen's strategy is to sign young and promising players to develop at Bayer, and then sell them a few years later when their market value has increased. The selling of Boniface (who recently was out for injury) enters in this strategy.