The Bayer Leverkusen title winners will go down in history as the first players to deliver the Bundesliga title for the club, after Xabi Alonso's men beat Werder Bremen 5-0 on Sunday afternoon.
Victor Boniface and Granit Xhaka put the hosts 2-0 up, before Florian Wirtz scored a hat-trick to round off a memorable day. Unfortunately for Leverkusen, their heroics will draw attention from the riches of the Premier League, and some of their stars may be picked off this summer with offers the club simply cannot refuse.
Leverkusen title winners up for grabs
Jeremie Frimpong
Frimpong has been exceptional at right wing-back for Leverkusen, scoring eight goals and making seven assists in 27 Bundesliga appearances. That has led to a lot of speculation about his future, but the latest to emerge is a link to Old Trafford, with a £40m release clause in Frimpong's current four-year contract set to activate in June.
According to reporter Christian Falk's fact file on CaughtOffside, Frimpong's management are in ‘concrete' talks with the 20-time English champions.
United won't be without competition though, and given Reece James' injury problems, and the fact Chelsea could sell him for pure profit to comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), Frimpong could be the perfect replacement. Yet, Frimpong also grew up in Manchester City‘s youth academy, and so returning to the Etihad Stadium could be another option.
Alejandro Grimaldo
The other wing-back Grimaldo has been equally outstanding, especially considering he was signed on a free transfer from Benfica last summer. He has played in every Bundesliga game this season, netting nine times and providing 12 assists – the latter being the most in the Leverkusen squad.
The newly-crowned champions have a chance to make a quick profit on their asset, and with Manchester United‘s injuries at left-back, he would provide reliability in terms of playing time.
Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta's Spanish connections could see Grimaldo move to Arsenal as an alternative to the inverting Oleksandr Zinchenko, while Manchester City may contrastingly eye a natural left-back to replace fringe player Sergio Gomez.
Florian Wirtz
Hat-trick hero Wirtz is the chief creator in Leverkusen's midfield, with 11 goals and 10 assists in the Bundesliga so far this campaign. At just 20 years old, he is arguably Leverkusen's biggest asset, and the three Premier League title chasers will surely come calling.
Boasting similar flair traits to captain Martin Odegaard, Wirtz could be the advanced midfielder Arsenal are looking for, and it would also give him a chance to link up with fellow German and ex-Leverkusen teammate Kai Havertz.
Liverpool were also in the hunt for a flair midfielder last summer, and Wirtz could replace the injury-prone Thiago. That said, Manchester City will eventually need to replace 32-year-old Kevin De Bruyne, and Wirtz is showing plenty of potential.
Victor Boniface
Boniface has had injury problems this season, but he is still Leverkusen's joint-highest scorer in the Bundesliga with 11 goals in just 18 appearances. The striker has also pitched in with eight assists, and at just 23 years old, is yet to reach his full potential.
Chelsea have been over-reliant on Cole Palmer's 16 Premier League goals this season, and Nicolas Jackson has perhaps not provided as many goals as they would have liked, so a lethal number nine should be a priority this summer.
Likewise, Arsenal‘s strikers are yet to reach double figures in the league this term, and Sunday afternoon's blank at home to Aston Villa reignited debates over their need for an elite centre-forward. Speaking of which, Sporting hitman Viktor Gyokeres has also emerged as a contender to join the Gunners.
Tottenham Hotspur lost the ever-reliable Harry Kane last summer, and signing Boniface would revert Son Heung-min back to his natural left-wing position.
