Maza Transfer Battle: Arsenal, Man United, and Europe's Elite Compete

The battle for Maza is turning into one of Europe’s sharpest transfer subplots.

Arsenal and Manchester United have been leading the chase from England, but the field is getting crowded. Manchester City and Atletico Madrid have now joined the hunt, with both clubs understood to be in regular contact with the Algerian’s camp to track any change in his situation at Bayer Leverkusen.

This is no routine scouting mission. Arsenal and United have been following Maza closely ever since he walked through the doors at the BayArena, and the more he plays, the more his price climbs.

Leverkusen’s €70m statement

Leverkusen knew what they were doing in the summer of 2025. Plucking Maza from Hertha BSC has turned into a masterstroke for the German champions. In a short space of time, the 20-year-old has gone from promising prospect to one of the most talked‑about young playmakers on the continent.

The club also know exactly what they’re holding.

Maza is locked into a long-term deal until June 2030, a contract that hands Leverkusen all the leverage they could want. They are under no pressure to sell, and they are acting like it. According to Fussball News, the Werkself have placed a price tag of up to €70m on the midfielder, a figure that underlines both his current impact and the belief in his ceiling.

For some clubs, that number would be a deterrent. For the Premier League elite, it has barely slowed the conversation.

Premier League giants hunting creativity

Both Mikel Arteta and the recruitment team at Old Trafford are searching for players who can tilt tight games in the final third. They want craft, imagination, the ability to pick a pass when space disappears.

Maza fits that brief almost perfectly.

He is at his most natural in the No. 10 role, operating between the lines, but his appeal goes well beyond that label. He has already shown he can drop deeper as a central midfielder, help with build-up, or pull wide into the channels to overload flanks. That sort of flexibility is gold for coaches who like to rotate shapes and roles during games.

Analysts are just as intrigued. The Algerian couples acceleration and flair with sharp vision, making him a constant threat when he turns and drives at a back line. He is not just a highlight-reel dribbler; his numbers back up the eye test.

On top of that, he already knows the weight of a national shirt. Maza has earned 21 caps and scored twice for Algeria, proving he can handle the stage and the scrutiny long before most players his age even break into senior international football.

A decision that could define a career

All of that explains the noise. It does not answer the key question facing the player.

The pull of the Premier League is obvious: bigger platform, bigger wages, bigger spotlight. For a 20-year-old, it can change everything. It can also stall everything.

Sitting on a star-studded bench, watching from the sidelines as form and rhythm drift away, is the risk that hovers over any move of this size. For Maza, regular minutes will shape whether he becomes a €70m mainstay or a cautionary tale.

If he leaves the Bundesliga, he will need more than a badge and a promise. He will need a clear route into the starting XI and a project that suits his technical, inventive style.

Leverkusen hold the contract and the price tag. Maza holds the next move. Which of Europe’s giants can convince him they offer more than just a famous shirt?