6 hours ago
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Deal imminent
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Bayer Leverkusen are set to sign a replacement for Florian Wirtz. For a few weeks now, US men’s national team star Malik Tillman has been linked with a move to the 2024 Bundesliga champions. Dutch outlet Voetbal International, which first reported that the two sides had reached personal terms, have now added that the two clubs have reached an agreement. Transfermarkt can confirm a report by Fabrizio Romano that an agreement is in place, but also that Bayern Munich can still influence a potential deal.
The 23-year-old playmaker is a product of the Bayern Munich academy and joined PSV on a permanent deal worth €12m after a previous loan. That deal also includes an exit clause. The validity of the exit clause was, however, questioned by the Eredivisie side. According to a report by VI, Eindhoven believed that only Bayern Munich were able to trigger the clause in 2025.
Bayern Munich included a matching right when they sold Tillman to Eindhoven last summer. Leverkusen and the player believed that any club could trigger the exit clause from a specific date forward. PSV deny this, and the transfer threatened to become a matter for the courts. However, all parties have now reached an agreement. Altogether, the package of the deal is worth €40m. Only Bayern could now jeopardize the deal, but there is no indication that the Rekordmeister is interested.
Second biggest fee for USMNT player – Tillman joins Leverkusen
Once completed, Tillman will become the second-most-expensive USMNT player in history. The current transfer record is held by Christian Pulisic, who joined Chelsea from Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth €64m in the 2018/19 season (overview). Why are Leverkusen willing to break the bank on Tillman? The playmaker managed to score 16 goals and five assists in 24 games and increased his market value to €32m. That makes him the third most valuable player in the Dutch Eredivisie. A player on the ascendency, Leverkusen hope that Tillman can fill the gap left by Wirtz. It's a tall ask, but Tillman certainly has the potential to become a top player in the Bundesliga.
