Issa Traoré: Who is the Malian prodigy joining Bayer Leverkusen in 2026?
Bayer Leverkusen won the race for exciting young defender Issa Traoré back in December 2024. Get the lowdown on the latest African starlet who could take the German top flight by storm, when he joins Die Werkself in January 2026...
Data correct as of 2 July 2025
Issa Traoré
Age: 17 (born 14 November 2007)
Club: Djoliba AC (Bayer Leverkusen from 1 January 2026)
Position: Centre-back
Country: Mali (seven youth caps)
Key stats
Little was known about Malian starlet Traoré across Europe prior to the FIFA U17 World Cup in late 2023, but in the aftermath of that tournament, his was a name on the lips of some giants of the European game. Despite being just 15 years of age at the start of the competition as one of the few players selected that were born in 2007, Traoré ultimately played every minute of Mali's remarkable run to third place.
Despite being knocked out by France in the semi-finals in a tightly-contested 2-1 defeat, the West-Africans were quick to bounce back, beating Argentina in the third-place play-off.
Traoré was undoubetdly imperative to Mali's success, making up one half of a centre-back pairing (alongside Baye Coulibaly) which conceded just four goals - the second-fewest at the tournament.
The starlet started out at Lakika FC's academy before catching the eye of Djoliba AC, one of Mali’s top clubs, to which he made the switch aged 15, ultimately helping fast-track him to the U17 World Cup.
After the tournment's conclusion, Leverkusen invited Traoré for a trial and, liking what they saw, agreed a deal in December 2024 to bring him to the Rhineland. However, due to FIFA regulations, Traoré is forbidden from moving to Europe until he turns 18 (in November 2025) and thus will remain with Djoliba until January 2026.
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Plays a bit like: Dayot Upamecano
Standing at just over 6'2'', Traoré - like Bayern Munich colossus Dayot Upamecano - is a dominant force in the air and an incredibly athletic player, capable of making quick recovery runs. Similarly to the Frenchman, he's also composed with the ball at his feet and comfortable receiving the ball in deep positions and playing out from the back.
Did you know?
Although not able to formally join Leverkusen until January 2026, Traoré has reportedly been travelling between Mali and Germany to partake in training sessions with Die Werkself's youth sides whenever possible.
What they're saying
"The club gives opportunities to young talents. At Leverkusen, you can move directly from the U19s to the senior Bundesliga squad. So it’s up to me to keep working very hard because I know the club is counting on me for the future, and I hope to live up to those expectations." - Traoré upon agreeing his move to Leverkusen
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