French central defender Loïc Badé has officially joined Bayer Leverkusen from Sevilla. The transfer, which could rise to €29 million with add-ons, sees the 25-year-old sign a long-term contract with the German champions until June 2030. Badé will wear the number 5 shirt.
Bayer Leverkusen’s managing director for sport, Simon Rolfes, expressed his excitement in a club statement.
“In Loïc Badé we have signed a young but very experienced central defender,” he said. “He’s used to playing against absolutely world-class strikers in La Liga. Loïc is physically uncompromising and can read the game, an absolute addition to strengthening our defence. We are competitive at the highest level with this defence.”
Badé has already joined his new teammates in Germany and could be in line to make his Bundesliga debut this weekend.
The defender shared his enthusiasm for the move, stating, “The Bundesliga and German football really appeal to me. Bayer Leverkusen have earned great recognition abroad in recent years. I’ve seen them a lot on TV, above all in European games. The stadium and the Leverkusen fans were brilliant. It will be great fun to battle for a trophy for Bayer 04 with that background.”
Leverkusen is set to kick off their Bundesliga campaign on Saturday, August 23, 2025, at home against TSG Hoffenheim.
Meanwhile, Badé’s former club, Sevilla, is hoping to get their season back on track. They will be looking for their first points of the new La Liga season on August 25 when they host Getafe. Sevilla suffered a 3-2 defeat to Athletic Club in their opening game and will be hoping for a better performance.
