Arsenal have submitted a €40million offer for Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Ibrahim Maza as a potential long-term replacement for martin ødegaard, and Leverkusen has rejected the bid this week. The offer—reported as £35m—arrived alongside a similar approach from Manchester City but was turned down.
Ibrahim Maza: Arsenal €40m Offer
€40million is the figure Arsenal put on the table for the 20-year-old attacking midfielder. Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta have identified Maza as a succession option for Odegaard and see him "as the ideal piece of the puzzle to bolster their rotation in the post-Odegaard era." Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Atletico Madrid and Juventus are among other clubs tracking the player.
Mikel Arteta, Andrea Berta Plans
Ibrahim Maza joined Bayer Leverkusen from Hertha Berlin in the summer of 2025 and has been used mainly as an attacking midfielder this season. He has recorded five goals and six assists across 39 matches in all competitions, a statistical profile Arsenal view as a long-term investment rather than an immediate like-for-like swap.
Bayer Leverkusen Valuation Strategy
Bayer Leverkusen rejected initial offers of around €40million from both Arsenal and Manchester City, signalling a reluctance to sell now. The club would ideally like Maza to stay for another season so his value rises before a possible sale in the summer of 2027, a stance that forces suitors to consider either increasing their bids or waiting to reopen talks later.
Manchester City's interest arrives at a moment of midfield turnover; Bernardo Silva announced he will leave at the end of this season after a nine-year spell, and Pep Guardiola is expected to prioritise a more experienced replacement. "They’re probably looking for somebody a bit more experienced (than Maza) to come in and fill the boots of Silva." That evaluation underlines the friction: Maza is young and productive, but some buyers want a more seasoned profile.
For Ibrahim Maza, 20, the choice is immediate and consequential. Leverkusen wants him to develop further and push his market value toward a summer 2027 exit, while title-chasing Arsenal — three points clear of Manchester City, who hold a game in hand — have made a concrete move to accelerate any transfer. That split between Leverkusen's valuation strategy and Arsenal's transfer timetable will determine whether Maza moves this summer or remains in Germany to increase his price.
