Not one Bayer Leverkusen player made Klopp’s first Germany squad.

The disparity, according to Bulinews, is “a source of considerable frustration for Leverkusen’s decision-makers.”

Klopp named 44 players for the opening Nations League fixtures against the Netherlands, Greece and Serbia, split into a 24-man group and a 20-man group. Three of the Germans on that extended list had been Leverkusen targets over the summer.

The names Leverkusen could not land

Yann Aurel Bisseck was the most expensive miss. Inter Milan held firm on their valuation and Leverkusen walked away, 90min reported, with the centre-back then named in Klopp’s first travelling party.

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Malick Thiaw turned Leverkusen down. The former Schalke defender, now at Newcastle United, was in Klopp’s second group for the matches against Serbia and Greece.

Chris Führich stayed at VfB Stuttgart after Leverkusen pivoted to Afonso Moreira and the returning Moussa Diaby. He was in the Germany squad too.

Angelo Stiller is the one who did not reach Klopp either. His release clause lapsed in the summer, he declined the move to the BayArena, and he did not make the September call-ups.

Fernando Carro’s rejected Brandt plan

CEO Fernando Carro pushed internally for Julian Brandt’s return to Leverkusen but could not get the move signed off, 90min reported. Brandt left Borussia Dortmund on a free and signed for Ajax Amsterdam. He has not played for Germany in close to two years and did not make Klopp’s list either.

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Novell took over on 1 July

The man rebuilding the squad is not the one who ran the window. Carles Martínez Novell took over on 1 July 2026, arriving from Toulouse to replace Kasper Hjulmand on a two-year contract through June 2028.

Sporting director Simon Rolfes framed the appointment as a reset.

“We carefully considered which coach would be the best fit for Bayer 04’s next phase of development,” he said.

Three of Klopp’s call-ups could have been Leverkusen players. None of them are.

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