Bayer Leverkusen signs striker Victor Boniface from Belgium

Schick replacement there

Bayer Leverkusen made the signing of Victor Boniface (22) perfect. After striker Patrik Schick (27) was injured again, the Nigerian attacker, who comes from Royale Union Saint Gilloise, is being considered as a substitute in the Werkself offensive. His contract runs until 2028.

According to reports, a fee of 20 million euros is due for the third-best Union scorer (17 goals/12 assists) in the past season – a top 10 sum in Leverkusen transfer history. The Bundesliga club only paid six times more for a player, including Schick. Boniface switched from the Norwegian first division club Bodø/Glimt to Union SG for EUR 2 million last summer. For the Belgian club, it is now the most expensive sale in club history.

Boniface new in top 10: Most expensive signings from Bayer Leverkusen

Chicharito | 2015/16 by Manchester United

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Transfer fee: €12 million
As of July 22, 2023

Mitchell Wise | 2018/19 by Hertha BSC

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Transfer fee: €12 million

Heung Min Son | 2013/14 from HSV

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Transfer fee: €12.5 million

Sven Bender | 2017/18 by BVB

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Transfer fee: €12.5 million

Charles Aranguiz | 2015/16 from SC Internacional

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Transfer fee: €13 million

Adam Hlozek | 2022/23 by Sparta Prague

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Transfer fee: €13 million

Andre Schurrle | 2011/12 from Mainz 05

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Transfer fee: €14 million

Moussa Diaby | 2019/20 by PSG

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Transfer fee: €15 million

Hakan Calhanoğlu | 2014/15 from HSV

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Transfer fee: €15.25 million

Leon Bailey | 2016/17 from KRC Genk

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Transfer fee: €16.7 million

Exquiel Palacios | 2019/20 by River Plate

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Transfer fee: €17 million

Panagiotis Retsos | 2017/18 by Olympiacos

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Transfer fee: €17.5 million

Paulinho | 2018/19 by Vasco da Gama

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Transfer fee: €18.5 million

Lucas Alario | 2017/18 by River Plate

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Transfer fee: €19 million

Victor Boniface | 2023/24 by Union SG

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Transfer fee: €20 million

Kevin Volland | 2016/17 by Hoffenheim

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Transfer fee: €20 million

Edmond Tapsoba | 2019/20 by Vitoria Guimaraes

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Transfer fee: €20.2 million

Aleksandar Dragovic | 2016/17 by Dynamo Kyiv

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Transfer fee: €21m

Odilon Kossounou | 2021/22 from Club Brugge

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Transfer fee: €23 million

Granite Xhaka | 2023/24 from Arsenal

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Transfer fee: €25 million

Patrick Schick | 2020/21 by AS Roma

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Transfer fee: €26.5 million

Kerem Demirbay | 2019/20 by Hoffenheim

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Transfer fee: €32m

“We’ve had Victor Boniface on our radar for a long time,” said Leverkusen’s managing director Simon Rolfes about the new signing. “Victor is a very present, “difficult-to-play centre-forward” who poses a challenge for every defender just because of his physicality. In addition, he is also fast and technically skilled. With him we have a strong but still viable and flexible striker in our ranks for the long term. He will help us to improve the quality of our squad in the multitude of games in the Bundesliga, DFB Cup and Europa League.”

Boniface has been a well-known personality in Leverkusen at least since the Europa League quarter-final duel with the Belgians, when the right foot scored 1-1 in the first leg in the BayArena, but ultimately could not prevent the Jupiler Pro League club from being eliminated. Since then, Boniface has been linked with several Bundesliga clubs, including Eintracht Frankfurt and RB Leipzig.

When it came to looking for a striker, Leverkusen had recently been linked to Bremen international Niclas Füllkrug and Burnley’s Wout Weghorst (overview of all rumors about possible Bayer signings).

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