Bayer Leverkusen have completed the signing of defender Guéla Doué from Strasbourg. The 23-year-old Ivorian international joins the Bundesliga side on a five-year contract, the club announced on Thursday.
Leverkusen began the new season with a defeat and currently sit 13th in the Bundesliga table with zero points from one game. The aim with signing Doué is to bolster a defence that conceded three goals on the opening matchday. The next challenge comes quickly with a home fixture against 9th-placed Union Berlin on Friday, 5 September. The current injury list, visible on our squad page, includes Kennet Eichhorn and Montrell Culbreath.
Guéla Doué is a 23-year-old Ivorian professional who began his career in France. He made his Ligue 1 debut during the 2022/23 campaign with Stade Rennais. He made 35 senior appearances for Rennes before moving to Racing Strasbourg in July 2024. Over two seasons at Strasbourg, he established himself as a regular, making 34 appearances in each campaign. During that time, he contributed two goals and seven assists. With Strasbourg, he reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Conference League last season. At international level, Doué was part of the Côte d'Ivoire squad that reached the Round of 32 at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Sporting director Simon Rolfes expressed his satisfaction with the transfer. In an official statement, Rolfes said: "By signing Guéla Doué, we have significantly strengthened the right-back position." Strengthening the defence is a key objective for Leverkusen, who trail league leaders Bayern München by three points in the early title race. The current standings show the tight competition at the top.
Doué is expected to reinforce Bayer Leverkusen's right defensive flank, offering an additional attacking threat from the back. The Ivorian himself highlighted how impressed he was by the club's vision during talks. "I spent two wonderful years in France with Strasbourg.", Doué said. "The team is talented and has so many great footballers. I am incredibly excited to play alongside these guys." His debut for Die Werkself could come as early as Friday's home match against Union Berlin. Union secured a dramatic late draw against Eintracht Frankfurt on Matchday 1, meaning both sides are still searching for their first league win of the season.
The first possible competitive match for the new signing is the fixture on Friday, 5 September 2026, against Union Berlin at the BayArena. Leverkusen will be aiming to secure their first points of the season in front of their home fans. The team has scored two goals but conceded three so far, resulting in a goal difference of minus one. All upcoming fixtures can be found on the fixtures page. Guéla Doué signed a five-year contract with Bayer Leverkusen, which runs until the summer of 2031.
