Before leaving Bayer 04
In the summer of 2019, Daley Sinkgraven followed coach Peter Bosz, who coached him at Ajax Amsterdam and under whom he played most of his professional games, to Bayer Leverkusen. While Bosz had to resign in March 2021, Sinkgraven is still with the “Werkself”. “I like it here. In terms of media attention, it’s much quieter than Ajax,” the left-back told Dutch radio.NOS“.
Despite the annual European Cup ambitions, the area around the BayArena, which ranks twelfth in the average number of viewers in the Bundesliga, is very quiet. “Most of my teammates live in Düsseldorf and Cologne. I live near Düsseldorf myself,” says Sinkgraven, who meets three compatriots in the Leverkusen defense in Jeremie Frimpong (22), Mitchel Bakker (22) and Timothy Fosu-Mensah (25). “I only speak to them in the club. Otherwise we don’t have much contact.”
Bayer 04 in 12th place: Visitor numbers in the 2022/23 Bundesliga
18 Union Berlin | Stadium An der Alten Försterei | Average attendance: 21,850
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Capacity: 22,012
As of February 21st
17 TSG Hoffenheim | PreZero Arena | Average attendance: 22,254
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Capacity: 30,150
16 VfL Bochum | Vonovia Ruhrstadion | Average attendance: 25,272
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Capacity: 26,000
15 VfL Wolfsburg | Volkswagen Arena | Average attendance: 26,485
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Capacity: 30,000
14 FC Augsburg | WWK Arena | Average attendance: 26,572
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Capacity: 30,660
13 Mainz 05 | Mewa Arena | Average attendance: 27,337
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Capacity: 33,305
12 Bayer 04 | BayArena | Average attendance: 27,842
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Capacity: 30,210
11 SC Freiburg | Europa Park Stadium | Average attendance: 34,210
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Capacity: 34,700
10 Werder | Wohninvest-Weserstadion | Average attendance: 41,491
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Capacity: 42,100
9 RB Leipzig | Red Bull Arena | Viewer average: 45,109
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Capacity: 47,069
8 VfB Stuttgart | Mercedes-Benz Arena | Average attendance: 46,228
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Capacity: 60,449 (due to renovation work, the capacity is currently only 47,700)
7 1. FC Cologne | RheinEnergieStadion | Average attendance: 49,670
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Capacity: 50,000
6 E. Frankfurt | Deutsche Bank Park | Average attendance: 49,973
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Capacity: 51,500
5 Hertha | Olympic Stadium Berlin | Average attendance: 51,854
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Capacity: 74,667
4 Gladbach | Borussia Park | Average attendance: 52,288
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Capacity: 54,042
3 Schalke | Veltins Arena | Average attendance: 60,692
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Capacity: 62,271
2 FC Bayern | Allianz Arena | Viewer average: 75,007
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Capacity: 75,024
1 BVB | Signal Iduna Park | Viewer average: 81,132
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Capacity: 81,365
Although Sinkgraven appears to be enjoying his time in Germany, he has struggled on the pitch. “I’ve played a little less in recent years anyway,” said the 27-year-old, who made only his eighth appearance of the season against Mainz 05 (2-3) last Sunday. Missing games has been a common thread throughout Sinkgraven’s career so far. Knee injuries, among other things, kept him out of action in Amsterdam, and he also had to deal with injuries again and again at Bayer 04.
“It was lonely and I sometimes thought it would never be right again,” admitted Sinkgraven, looking at his bad luck with injuries. In the 2018/19 season, he got fit in time to celebrate the double with Ajax. “This season was definitely the highlight of my career,” says Sinkgraven. “Everyone in this team was good.” Afterwards he went to Leverkusen for 5 million euros, because Nicolás Tagliafico (30) was a left-back at Ajax under coach Erik ten Hag.
Sinkgraven to de Ligt: Most expensive Dutchman in Bundesliga history
25 Daley Sinkgraven | from Ajax to Bayer 04 | Transfer fee: €5 million
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Season 19/20
As of February 21, 2023
25 Khalid Boulahrouz | from Chelsea to VfB Stuttgart | Transfer fee: €5 million
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Season 08/09
24 Rafael van der Vaart | from Ajax to HSV | Transfer fee: €5.1 million
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Season 05/06
22 Orlando Engelaar | from Twente to Schalke | Transfer fee: €5.5 million
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Season 08/09
22 Eljero Elijah | from Juventus to Werder | Transfer fee: €5.5 million
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Season 12/13
20 Mark van Bommel | from Barcelona to Bavaria | Transfer fee: €6 million
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Season 06/07
20 Joris Mathijsen | from AZ Alkmaar to HSV | Transfer fee: €6 million
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Season 06/07
16 Ryan Babel | from Liverpool to Hoffenheim | Transfer fee: €7 million
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Season 10/11
16 Bas Dost | from Heerenveen to VfL Wolfsburg | Transfer fee: €7 million
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Season 12/13
16 Bas Dost | from Sporting to Eintracht Frankfurt | Transfer fee: €7 million
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Season 19/20
16 Mitchell Bakker | from PSG to Bayer 04 | Transfer fee: €7 million
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Season 21/22
15 Jeremiah St Juste | from Feyenoord to Mainz 05 | Transfer fee: €8 million
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Season 19/20
14 Eljero Elijah | from Twente to HSV | Transfer fee: €9 million
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Season 09/10
13 Wout Weghorst | from AZ Alkmaar to VfL Wolfsburg | Transfer fee: €10.5 million
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Season 18/19
12 Jeremy Frimpong | from Celtic to Bayer 04 | Transfer fee: €11 million
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Season 20/21
11 Jeffrey Bruma | from PSV to VfL Wolfsburg | Transfer fee: €11.5 million
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Season 16/17
9 Luuk de Jong | from Twente to Gladbach | Transfer fee: €12 million
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Season 12/13
9 Smellingly Bazoer | from Ajax to VfL Wolfsburg | Transfer fee: €12 million
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Season 16/17
8 Rafael van der Vaart | from Tottenham to HSV | Transfer fee: €13 million
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Season 12/13
7 Davy Klaassen | from Everton to Werder | Transfer fee: €13.5 million
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Season 18/19
6 Klaas Jan Huntelaar | from AC Milan to Schalke | Transfer fee: €14 million
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Season 10/11
5 Ryan Gravenberch | from Ajax to Bayern | Transfer fee: €18.5 million
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Season 22/23
4 Roy Makaay | from La Coruna to Bavaria | Transfer fee: €19.75 million
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Season 03/04
3 Arjen Robben | from Real Madrid to Bayern | Transfer fee: €25 million
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Season 09/10
2 Donyell Paint | from PSV to BVB | Transfer fee: €30 million
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Season 21/22
1 Matthijs de Ligt | from Juventus to Bayern | Transfer fee: €67 million
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Season 22/23
Looking back, Sinkgraven might have had an option in midfield after the departure of Frenkie de Jong (25) that summer, but the left-footed player himself said: “You never know how it would have turned out. I think Leverkusen was a good step.” At least there was a coach waiting for Sinkgraven in Bosz in the Bundesliga who was counting on him. In the German upper house, the game is even more intense than in the Eredivisie. “You have to switch all the time, whereas at Ajax you had the ball all the time.”
Sinkgraven will probably leave Bayer Leverkusen in the summer
With Bosz gone, things got more difficult for Sinkgraven at Bayer 04. Under successor Gerardo Seoane, the left-back fell behind, and under Xabi Alonso he also moves between light and shadow: sometimes starting eleven, sometimes bench, sometimes stands and not even registered for the Europa League. “Sometimes I don’t understand it either,” said Sinkgraven, who consciously decided to stay in Leverkusen last winter. “It also makes no sense to go to the coach again and again.”
It seems pretty certain that Sinkgraven and Bayer 04 will part ways after the season when the contract expires. “I know that the top European clubs aren’t interested, but I still want to continue playing in a good league,” Sinkgraven said. The focus is not necessarily on the Eredivisie. “I’m 27 years old,” Sinkgraven reasoned. “Or the Dutch leadership should get in touch.”
Choupo-Moting & Co.: Most valuable Bundesliga players with contract expiring in 2023
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting – FC Bayern – market value: €6M
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Data current as of February 15, 2023
Daley Blind – FC Bayern – market value: €6m
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Mats Hummels – BVB – market value: €6.5M
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Paulo Otávio – VfL Wolfsburg – market value: €6.5M
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Aarón Martín – FSV Mainz 05 – market value: €7M
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Timo Hübers – 1. FC Koln – market value: €7.5M
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Rani Khedira – Union Berlin – market value: €8m
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Dennis Geiger – TSG 1899 Hoffenheim – market value: €9m
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Marco Reus – BVB – market value: €9m
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Ellyes Skhiri – 1. FC Koln – market value: €13M
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Mahmoud Dahoud – BVB – market value: €18M
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Raphaël Guerreiro – BVB – market value: €20M
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Ramy Bensebaini – Gladbach – market value: €20M
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Konrad Laimer – RB Leipzig – market value: €28M
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Daichi Kamada – Eintracht – market value: €30M
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Marcus Thuram – Gladbach – market value: €32m
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Evan Ndicka – Eintracht Frankfurt – market value: €32M
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