Bayer Leverkusen Denies Karim Benzema Transfer Rumors

Bayer Leverkusen have shut down talk of a blockbuster move for Karim Benzema, ending a brief but noisy swirl of speculation before it could gather real pace.

The rumour mill roared into life when DZfoot journalist Ilyes Kaddouri reported that Leverkusen officials had held direct talks with the 38-year-old. The timing made it irresistible: Benzema had just agreed to terminate his contract with Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal, instantly making one of the modern era’s most decorated forwards a free agent.

Then came the social media spark. The former Real Madrid star was spotted following Leverkusen’s official Instagram account, and the story took off. Screenshots flew around, fans started to dream, and the idea of the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner turning up in the Bundesliga suddenly felt less like fantasy and more like a possibility.

Leverkusen, though, saw it very differently.

Speaking at the BayArena, sporting director Simon Rolfes moved quickly to kill the story. Asked by BILD about any potential move for the unattached Frenchman, Rolfes was blunt and left no room for interpretation: “Our squad is complete.” Four words, and the door slammed shut.

That stance holds even though Benzema is understood to have been in touch with familiar faces at the club. He has reportedly spoken with Lucas Vazquez and Moussa Diaby, both with strong links to Leverkusen, but those conversations have not altered the thinking in the boardroom.

Inside the club, there is a firm belief that the attacking options are already strong enough. Head coach Carles Martinez can lean on the proven goalscoring of Patrik Schick, while also nurturing the promise of emerging forward Christian Kofane. The picture up front should look even healthier once Victor Boniface completes his recovery from a serious knee injury and returns to contention.

Any notion of a nostalgic homecoming to Lyon has also been dismissed in recent days, leaving Benzema’s next step as one of the most intriguing unanswered questions of this window.

Leverkusen, meanwhile, have little time for distraction. Their Europa League campaign begins on Wednesday night at home to Slovenian side Celje, a chance to set the tone in Europe in front of their own fans. Four days later, RB Leipzig arrive at the BayArena in what already feels like a sharp early test of Bundesliga credentials before the schedule halts for the international break.

Once that pause ends, it is straight back into the grind. Martinez’s team resume competitive action on October 10 with an away trip to Mainz on matchday five — and they will do so with the same squad Rolfes has backed so firmly, and without the late, dramatic twist of a Benzema arrival.