Aston Villa have made an approach to Bayer Leverkusen for striker Christian Kofane. The Premier League club are long-standing admirers of the 20-year-old forward, but Leverkusen have no intention of selling.
The inquiry from Birmingham is directly related to the uncertain future of Aston Villa's top scorer Ollie Watkins. The 30-year-old has made clear his desire to join Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal. Villa rejected a fourth offer worth £45 million for Watkins just last week, wish to keep the player, but are now stepping up contingency plans. Christian Kofane is among the options being considered as a potential replacement.
Christian Kofane is a central part of Leverkusen's plans for the coming season. The Cameroonian joined the Bundesliga club in 2025 and established himself in his first full campaign. Last season, he made 44 appearances across all competitions, scoring seven goals and registering nine assists. His development was rewarded in December 2025 with a first call-up to the Cameroon national team, for which he featured shortly after in their Africa Cup of Nations campaign.
Die Werkself, who finished fifth in the Bundesliga last season with 52 points, are building around young talents like Kofane. With a record of 59 goals scored and 39 conceded, they had the sixth-best attack in the league. The gap to champions Bayern München was 24 points. Kofane's versatility and potential for growth make him valuable to the club. An overview of last season's data is available on our stats page.
Aston Villa's search for a striker is proving difficult. Earlier on the same Tuesday the Kofane approach emerged, the club had a bid rejected for Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta. Other options on manager Unai Emery's list include AC Milan's Rafael Leao and Nicolas Jackson, who is considered a leading target for the Spaniard. The situation remains fluid as long as Ollie Watkins' future is unresolved.
Villa's interest in Kofane shows the quality the young striker has already shown. Leverkusen's swift rejection, however, indicates the Bundesliga side do not view the attacker as a negotiable asset. For Villa, this means they must look elsewhere if Watkins does depart.
The clear rebuff to Aston Villa provides planning certainty for the upcoming season. The coach and sporting director can count on Kofane as part of the squad while the team makes its final preparations. The next objective is the away match against SV Elversberg on 29 August 2026. The full season fixtures are listed for you.
The club heads into the new season with a solid run of form from the tail end of the last campaign (WWDDD). The decision to retain Kofane strengthens the attacking department, which gains further depth and quality with players like him. The club is sending a clear message: it wants to develop young talents and compete for international places in the standings, not sell them.
The coming days will show if Aston Villa returns with an improved offer or if Leverkusen's stance is finally respected. For the fans in Leverkusen, however, the message is clear: Christian Kofane remains a Bayer for now.
