Xabi Alonso takes Borja Iglesias to Leverkusen | Soccer | Sports

The leader of the Bundesliga, Bayer Leverkusen, has signed Borja Iglesias, a Betis striker who was going through a bad streak in the Andalusian team, to the point that he has not made his debut in the League and has only scored one goal in the Europa League and another in the Cup in a total of 18 games played this season. The German club incorporates the attacker on loan and has a purchase option of eight million euros at the end of the season, an option that will be finalized if a series of parameters are met. The operation has been carried out thanks to the interest of Xabi Alonso, Leverkusen coach, who needed a forward for the final stretch of the season due to the serious injury of Victor Boniface, who will not be available until May following playing 23 matches and score 16 goals, being the revelation player of the Bubdesliga. The German club tested various alternatives, such as that of Juventus striker Kean, frustrated by the intervention of Atlético de Madrid. Borja already saw his new team’s clash once morest Borussia Mönchengladbach live, which ended in a goalless draw. Leverkusen has been left dry and Borja arrives to score a goal. The transfer was made official this Saturday.

Xabi Alonso has collaborated in this operation. He called Isco, Betis’ best footballer at the moment, to ask him regarding the condition of his teammate. The references that Isco gave to the Basque coach, a teammate in Madrid, were excellent. Borja, however, is not having a good year at Betis. The call from Leverkusen can rehabilitate a player who is suffering from a great scoring drought. His last two goals in the League came once morest Girona in the penultimate game of last season. Borja has played 18 games this season and has only started four in the League. He has only two starts in the green and white team’s last 19 games.

Leverkusen wanted a simple loan of the player, but Betis has fought to include a purchase option at the end of the season. This option will be executed if several parameters are met, which are complicated to meet according to sources of the operation. Betis will now go to the winter market in search of a replacement for Borja. The Galician gave his approval to the operation having lost the trust of Manuel Pellegrini, who has put Willian José and even the young Diao ahead of a footballer who has not had his year. “It will be good for him to go to a winning team like Leverkusen. I needed the change,” said Manuel Pellegrini, coach of the green and white team.

Borja Iglesias arrived at Betis in the summer of 2019, from Espanyol. The Andalusian team paid the 28 million of his clause. He has played 181 games in all competitions for Betis, scoring 52 goals. Borja has had an irregular career. His best season was 2021-22, in which he scored a total of 19 goals and became champion of the Copa del Rey with the Betic team. Last year he scored 15 goals, all in the League. He has been international twice with the Spanish team and has a contract with Betis until 2026.