Amiri and Fosu-Mensah make way for Mbamba and Puerta on Bayer’s UEL squad

Bayer 04 Leverkusen have opted to drop Nadiem Amiri and Timothy Fosu-Mensah from their Europa League squad. Young central midfield talents Gustavo Puerta and Noah Mbamba will get a chance instead. 

Following his thrice nixed transfer to Leeds United, Bayer 04 Leverkusen trainer Xabi Alonso was quick to point out that he personally wasn’t mad at former German national team midfielder Nadiem Amiri. It nevertheless appears as if the 26-year-old’s sporting future with Germany’s red company team isn’t particularly bright after he was left off of the team’s 2023/24 Europa League roster released Tuesday afternoon. Dutch right-back Timothy Fosu-Mensah – another player who has not played much of a role in Xabi’s plans as of late – was also not included.

Eighteen-year-old Belgian central midfield talent Noah Mbamba was included, as was 20-year-old Colombian Gustavo Puerta. Xabi had expressed an eagerness to see Mbamba in action shortly after his signing last winter. Puerta was another winter signing who unfortunately didn’t see much action in a loan-out to 1. FC Nürnberg last spring. Both Mbamba and Puerta have logged minutes as subs for Xabi’s Werkself in the young Bundesliga campaign. Mbamba registered an assist in the recent 5-1 blowout of Darmstadt just prior to the international break.

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