Juventus Finalizes €35 Million Deal for Bayer Leverkusen's Kerim Alajbegović

Juventus has officially announced the signing of Kerim Alajbegović, a promising attacking player from Bayer Leverkusen. The 18-year-old Bosnian and Herzegovinian international has agreed to a five-year contract with the Italian club, running until 2031.

The initial transfer fee is set at €30 million, to be paid in four installments. Performance-based bonuses could potentially raise the total value of the deal to €35 million, with an additional €2 million in associated costs.

Alajbegović chose Juventus despite a late attempt by Chelsea to secure his signature. Other Italian clubs, including Atalanta and Napoli, had also shown interest in the winger.

Bayer Leverkusen had reacquired Alajbegović from RB Salzburg earlier this summer by exercising an approximately €8 million buyback clause. While he recorded 13 goals and four assists in 44 appearances in Austria, he departs without making a senior competitive appearance for Leverkusen's first team.

Previously, the winger was a significant contributor for Leverkusen's youth teams, scoring 38 goals and providing 19 assists in 78 matches for the U17 and U19 squads. His transfer marks an exceptional profit for Leverkusen on their recent investment.

Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen has also been active in strengthening their squad, recently completing a €30 million transfer for Napoli left-back Miguel Gutiérrez.

Statement Regarding Kerim Alajbegović's Transfer

Leverkusen's managing director for sport, Simon Rolfes, commented on the move in a club statement: "Kerim made further significant progress in Salzburg following his time in our academy. At the same time, we had to realistically assess that the competition in our squad is very strong. Against this backdrop and considering the overall transfer package, we approved the move."