By Rune Gjerulff@runegjerulff

Brighton saw €45m bid for Leverkusen star rejected before turning to Chema

Brighton & Hove Albion reportedly had a €45 million bid for Bayer Leverkusen’s Malik Tillman rejected before ultimately opting to sign VfB Stuttgart’s Chema Andrés.

Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images

Bayer Leverkusen’s Malik Tillman was the subject of a bid from Brighton & Hove Albion towards the end of the transfer window, according to Bild.

The German tabloid reports that the Seagulls made a €45 million offer for the USMNT international on Monday, which was rejected by Leverkusen.

Brighton subsequently went on to complete a late deal worth around €23 million for VfB Stuttgart’s Chema Andrés, while Tillman remained at Leverkusen.

Leverkusen signed the 24-year-old from PSV for a reported €35 million in the summer of 2025.

Since then, Tillman has scored eight goals and provided one assist in 44 appearances for Die Werkself.