Atlético Madrid Pursues Bayer Leverkusen's Maza Amidst High Stakes

Atlético Madrid are back at a familiar door, and this time they’re knocking louder.

Diego Simeone has again turned his gaze to Bayer Leverkusen’s 20-year-old Algerian playmaker Maza, pushing the club to move quickly as he looks to refresh and sharpen his midfield. According to Bulinews, Atlético’s sporting leadership have already contacted Leverkusen to formally register their interest and test the waters.

They didn’t like the reply.

Leverkusen have no intention of cashing in on one of their most exciting assets. Maza is no longer just a promising youngster; he is a centrepiece, and the German club are treating him exactly like that.

The numbers tell the story of why this chase will be expensive. Leverkusen signed Maza from Hertha Berlin in the summer of 2025 for around €12 million. Since then his value has exploded. With a contract running until June 2030, any club trying to pull him out of the Bundesliga now is staring at a price tag in the region of €70 million.

For Atlético, this is not some sudden obsession. As beIN Sports journalist Hafid Derradji has revealed, the Spanish side had already tried to strike earlier in his career, tabling a €35 million offer while Maza was still at Hertha. That bid was quickly rejected, but it underlined how closely Simeone’s staff have been tracking his rise.

That rise has accelerated in recent months. Maza has started this season in electric form, locking down a starting spot for Leverkusen and playing with the authority of a seasoned international rather than a 20-year-old. One goal and two assists in just four starts hint at his impact, and he has only missed one match – the club’s Europa League opener – because of illness, not form.

Clubs across Europe have noticed. Atlético are jostling for position in a crowded queue.

Arsenal and Manchester City both made their interest clear during the summer window, sounding out the possibility of a deal and exploring the conditions. Leverkusen’s response then was blunt: Maza was not for sale. No negotiations, no compromise.

That stance has not softened. If anything, Leverkusen are doubling down.

To keep Atlético and the Premier League heavyweights at arm’s length, the German side have started working on a new contract for their Algerian star. As reported by Bild, talks with Maza’s representatives began last week, with the aim of tying him down beyond his current 2030 agreement and reinforcing his status as a long-term pillar of the project.

The plan is simple: reward his rise and remove any doubt. Leverkusen are preparing a significant salary increase, a major jump from the €3 million per season he currently earns, to convince him that his future – at least for now – lies where his breakout is happening.

For Atlético, it leaves a familiar question hanging in the air: do they push towards that €70 million mark and try to break Leverkusen’s resolve, or accept that this particular midfield jewel may be locked away in Germany for a while yet?