Players Who Have Played for Both Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen

Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen face off in the UEFA Champions League tonight, with a quarter-final spot on the line.

A 1-1 draw in the first leg in Germany leaves the tie open, and both teams will meet again at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.

We highlight four players who have played for both clubs.

Four who played for both: Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen

Bernd Leno

Bayer Leverkusen recognized Bernd Leno’s potential after signing him from Stuttgart’s second team in 2011. He made his debut as a teenager, becoming the youngest German goalkeeper in the Champions League and securing the starting spot.

After making 304 appearances for Leverkusen, Leno transferred to Arsenal for £22.5m in 2018. In his first season, he replaced Petr Cech as the starting goalkeeper and helped Arsenal reach the Europa League final.

After Aaron Ramsdale joined in 2021, Leno lost his place and moved to Fulham for £8m in 2022.

Granit Xhaka

Granit Xhaka joined Arsenal from Borussia Monchengladbach for £30m after a solid stint in the Bundesliga. His career in North London had ups and downs, including a notable clash with fans and a loss of the captaincy in 2019. Xhaka played nearly 300 matches for Arsenal, winning the FA Cup twice, before joining Leverkusen in 2023.

During his two seasons at Leverkusen, he was part of a team that won the Bundesliga without losing, earning back-to-back spots in the Bundesliga Team of the Season.

Xhaka returned to the Premier League with Sunderland in 2025.

Kai Havertz

Kai Havertz became a standout player at Leverkusen, breaking records as the youngest debutant and goalscorer in the Bundesliga. He excelled in the 2018-19 season, scoring 17 goals and achieving a total of 46 goals in 150 matches for the club.

Later, Chelsea signed him for £71m, where he won the Champions League and Club World Cup, scoring winning goals in both finals. He transferred to Arsenal, where he has netted 32 goals in 99 appearances.

Piero Hincapié

Piero Hincapié is the latest player on this list, moving from Leverkusen to Arsenal last summer. Initially on loan, his move will become permanent at the end of the season. Hincapié is a key player in Mikel Arteta’s squad.

He joined Leverkusen from Talleres, having developed at Independiente del Valle, and was part of a talented Ecuadorian generation, winning the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal with Leverkusen in 2023-24. He will represent Ecuador in this summer’s World Cup.

YouTube | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube