Bayer Leverkusen close in on €36m Guéla Doué deal with Strasbourg

Bayer Leverkusen are closing in on the signing of Guéla Doué from Strasbourg, with the Bundesliga club moving to strengthen the right side of their defence after a difficult opening to the season.

The transfer has not yet been officially announced, but Sky Germany reports that Leverkusen have reached an agreement with Strasbourg for the 23-year-old Ivory Coast international. The proposed package has been reported at around €36m, with the structure understood to include a fixed fee of about €30m plus add-ons.

That leaves the deal advanced rather than complete. Doué still has to complete the final formalities before he can be presented as a Leverkusen player, but the club-to-club breakthrough marks the decisive step in a pursuit that had also drawn interest from elsewhere.

For Leverkusen, the move addresses a clear squad need. The right-back position had become one of the areas requiring late-window attention, and Doué offers a profile built around athleticism, defensive range and the ability to play aggressively on the flank.

The timing also matters. Leverkusen opened their Bundesliga campaign with a 3-2 defeat at newly promoted Elversberg, a result that immediately sharpened focus on the balance of the squad under Carles Martínez. The club had already been reshaping several areas of the team, and Doué’s expected arrival would add another high-value signing to that process.

Doué joined Strasbourg from Rennes in 2024 and is under contract with the French club until 2029, giving Strasbourg a strong negotiating position. That helps explain the scale of the fee, which would represent a significant investment for a defender who is still only 23 but has already become an established Ligue 1 and international-level player.

For Strasbourg, the agreement would mean losing another important asset late in the window, but the reported fee also reflects the club’s success in turning young talent into major market value. Doué’s development in Alsace has taken him from promising Rennes graduate to a player capable of commanding a premium from one of Germany’s leading clubs.

For Leverkusen, the next step is completion. Until the medical, paperwork and official announcement are finished, Doué’s move should remain classified as advanced rather than official — but the agreement with Strasbourg puts the transfer firmly in its final stage.