Ibrahim Maza Is on Every London Club's Radar — But Is Chelsea the Right Move?

Ibrahim Maza representing Algeria. The 20-year-old is set to feature at the 2026 World Cup and could significantly boost his market value.**

Ibrahim Maza is 20 years old, has a contract at Bayer Leverkusen until 2030, and is now on the radar of virtually every top club in London. Chelsea are monitoring him, as are Arsenal, Tottenham, Man City and Newcastle. Leverkusen want somewhere between €55 and €65 million — a figure that tells you how seriously they rate him. A Man City bid of €50 million was reportedly knocked back. PSG are said to be willing to go even higher. The 20-year-old has become one of the most discussed names in European football ahead of a World Cup that could send his value into the stratosphere.

The talent is real. In the Bundesliga this season Maza made 28 appearances, scoring 3 and assisting 4. He also featured 12 times in the Champions League and added 2 goals in the DFB-Pokal. He splits lines well, carries the ball under pressure, rides challenges, and his weight of pass is a genuine quality. He won multiple Bundesliga Rookie of the Month awards after joining from Hertha Berlin last summer for just €12 million — a fee that already looks like a bargain. At the World Cup, he is absolutely one to watch. He makes things happen.

That said, there is an honest conversation to be had. Maza is good at a lot of things, but there is no single quality he brings to an attacking midfield role that makes you think only he can do that. No truly distinctive dribbling style, no one defining trait that sets him apart from the profile. He is well-rounded and technically sound — but at 20, one season into his time at Leverkusen, his ceiling is still unclear. The Daily Mail list him among the World Cup players to watch as a shop window opportunity — and that feels exactly right. This summer he is a name. After the World Cup, we will know whether he is a player.

For the clubs chasing him, the fit question varies. If Tottenham move, it is almost certainly to address their Xavi Simons situation — Maza fits the profile they need there. At Arsenal, the case is weaker — they already have depth in that area and he would come in as backup rather than the main event. For Chelsea, the question is whether we genuinely need another attacking midfielder of this type. My view? It is too soon for him to leave Leverkusen. Let him play at the World Cup, let the picture become clearer, and then the big clubs — Chelsea included — will know exactly what they are buying.

Big clubs will have him on their radar. They already do. Watch the World Cup first.