Bayer Leverkusen Complete Deadline-Day Deal for Guela Doue as Dortmund Confirm Sabitzer Will Stay
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Bayer Leverkusen signed Ivory Coast right-back Guela Doue from Strasbourg on transfer deadline day in a deal worth up to €37.5m including bonuses, with the 22-year-old putting pen to paper on a five-year contract through 2031, according to Fussballdaten. The move gives Leverkusen fresh competition on the right side of defence as their squad rebuild continues.
Marcel Sabitzer will stay at Borussia Dortmund despite fielding "numerous enquiries" on deadline day, his agent Roger Wittmann told Sky Sport Germany, closing the door on a possible late exit for the midfielder as the transfer window shut at 8pm CEST on 1 September.
Bayern Munich loaned young winger Arijon Ibrahimovic to FC Augsburg with a purchase option attached, moving him on for regular game time after limited opportunities at the Allianz Arena. The deal was one of several completed by Bayern before the deadline as they trimmed their squad.
Hamburger SV brought back midfielder Fabio Vieira on a permanent deal from Arsenal, while also signing Moroccan international Zakaria El Ouahdi from Belgian side Genk, according to Fussballdaten. Hamburg additionally sent midfielder Emir Sahiti out on loan to Hannover 96 as part of the same deadline-day reshuffle.
Transfer and squad notes
Werder Bremen loaned forward Samuel Mbangula to Bologna with an option to buy after a single Bundesliga season in Bremen, while Eintracht Frankfurt sent left-back Niels Nkounkou to Ligue 1 side Nice for the rest of the season following a previous loan spell at Torino.
The Bundesliga confirmed kick-off times for matchdays five through eleven on Thursday, with Bayern's league campaign resuming after the international break away at Augsburg on 10 October before hosting RB Leipzig on 17 October and Borussia Dortmund on 31 October.
What it means for the league
Leverkusen's late move for Doue shows the club still reinforcing key defensive positions right up against the deadline, while Dortmund's decision to retain Sabitzer suggests the club values continuity in midfield over accepting outside interest this window. Bayern's squad trimming through loans like Ibrahimovic's points to a club managing depth carefully even as they prepare for a run of high-profile October fixtures once the international break ends.