Atlético Madrid Pursue Bayer Leverkusen's Maza Amid Firm Stance

Atlético Madrid are back at a familiar door, and they’re knocking loudly.

Diego Simeone has again turned his gaze to Bayer Leverkusen’s 20-year-old Algerian playmaker Maza, pushing the club to move quickly as he looks to refresh and sharpen his midfield. The interest isn’t tentative. According to Bulinews, Atlético’s sporting leadership have already made contact with Leverkusen to spell out their intentions.

They were met with a firm stance.

Leverkusen have no desire to sell. Not now, not at this stage of Maza’s rise. The Bundesliga leaders view him as a core piece of their present and future, and any attempt to prise him away will come at a price that reflects that.

Maza’s value has exploded. Signed from Hertha Berlin in the summer of 2025 for a reported €12 million, he has rapidly transformed from promising youngster into one of the most coveted attacking midfielders of his age group. His contract runs until June 2030, and any serious bid now would need to land in the region of €70 million.

Atlético know this story well because they tried to get in early. beIN Sports journalist Hafid Derradji reported that the Spanish club put €35 million on the table while Maza was still at Hertha. That offer was swiftly rejected, but the rejection didn’t cool their interest. It simply turned Maza into a long-term target to track rather than a short-term bargain to snap up.

The logic is obvious every time he steps onto the pitch.

This season, Maza has forced his way into Leverkusen’s XI and stayed there. He has already produced one goal and two assists in just four starts, missing only the club’s Europa League opener through illness. For a 20-year-old in a side with serious domestic and European ambitions, he isn’t just filling minutes; he is dictating them.

That kind of form never goes unnoticed.

Atlético are not alone in the chase. Over the summer, Arsenal and Manchester City both showed concrete interest in the Algerian international. Leverkusen stood firm, shutting the door on any move and making it clear that, at that point, Maza was simply not for sale.

The pressure has not eased, so Leverkusen are moving to lock things down.

Bild report that the club have already opened talks over a new contract that would extend beyond the current 2030 expiry. Discussions with the player’s representatives began last week, with the clear objective of putting up another barrier between Maza and Europe’s biggest spenders.

The plan is straightforward: reward him like the star they believe he will become.

Leverkusen are preparing a significant salary increase on the €3 million per season he currently earns, a financial package designed to match his growing status and convince him that his development is best served where he is. For Atlético, and for the Premier League giants hovering in the background, the message is clear.

If they want Maza, they’ll have to pay for the finished article, not the rough diamond they once tried to steal.