Bayer has made its choice, Schick will be the starting striker: more physically reliable, better in the air and in the dressing room
Love at first sight, now a little cold. The relationship between Bayer Leverkusen and Victor Boniface is peaceful, but not idyllic. He arrived in Germany in the summer of 2023 and was instrumental in winning the 2023-24 championship (Leverkusen’s first ever title), but a series of injuries and the emergence of Patrik Schick have dampened the enthusiasm surrounding him.
Now the German club is in talks with Milan, who want to sign him to shore up their attack. Leverkusen have made their decision: Schick will be the starting striker this season. This is because the former Roma player is better in the air and offers more physical guarantees.
Boniface helps the team in the game, dropping back to open up space for his teammates, but with Ten Hag on the bench, the game will change. After a series of injuries that limited him last season, the Nigerian striker arrived at training camp in excellent physical condition. However, he is not as fit as the coaching staff had hoped: some persistent muscle problems have slowed him down. He is playing little, even in friendlies, and has not played a single minute in an official cup match.
nervousness— And that’s not all: in recent months, Boniface has been involved in some unpleasant incidents. In March, during the 4-1 win over Eintracht, he got angry with teammate Buendia for stealing a shot from him, anticipating him even though the Nigerian was in a better position. Boniface first waved his arms at Buendia, then even pushed him. Neither his teammates nor Xabi Alonso were able to calm him down. In January, he decided to leave Leverkusen to join Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia. He would have been overwhelmed by a flood of money. However, the deal fell through at the last minute because the Arabs were not so convinced after all. From then on, the great love affair that had blossomed during Boniface’s first season at Bayer slowly but surely cooled. Until it died out completely.
