Arrived at a high price, Eliesse Ben Seghir struggles to convince at Bayer Leverkusen

Eliesse Ben Seghir arrived in Germany last summer, after three seasons as a professional at AS Monaco (15 goals, 9 assists in 85 matches). He joined Bayer Leverkusen in exchange for €32 million plus €5 million in bonuses during the last transfer window. So far, he has failed to establish himself and show the full extent of his talent. He has scored no goals and provided no assists in 11 matches. He was also unable to open his account even in the two additional matches.

The German club, which expected a rapid impact by spending a fortune on the Moroccan striker, is starting to grow impatient. The same sentiment is shared by the German supporters and press. The latter points to his lack of speed. However, Bayer’s sporting director, Simon Rolfes, remains patient. "Speed is a quality that can be highlighted very quickly. For a profile like Eliesse’s, who expresses himself more in combinations, we need to rely on collective fluidity. And that takes time."