The most pressing issue at Bayer Leverkusen right now is not on the pitch but around it. Defender Jarell Quansah is attracting serious interest from some of Europe's biggest clubs, and the situation is becoming harder for the Werkself to manage. According to Sport Bild, as reported by GOAL, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Chelsea have all been linked with the 23-year-old England international, with Liverpool holding a buyback clause worth 70 million euros that can be activated by June 15, 2027. Arsenal already tested Leverkusen's resolve last summer with a 65 million euro bid, which the club rejected. That resolve may be harder to maintain as the window approaches.

On the pitch, Leverkusen have shown they can produce results. A 2-0 Bundesliga win over RB Leipzig in their most recent outing gave the club three points and some momentum, leaving them fifth in the table on seven points from four games. New head coach Carles Martinez has made an early tactical statement by shifting Quansah from centre-back to right-back, a decision that underlines just how central the defender has become to his plans.

The competitive picture is tight. Leverkusen travel to Mainz 05 on October 10, a fixture that carries real importance as the club look to climb the table. With uncertainty growing around one of their key defenders and a congested standings picture, the coming weeks will test both the squad's depth and the club's ability to hold onto its most coveted assets.