Victor Boniface Struggles With Pressure At Bayer Leverkusen

Bayer Leverkusen striker, Victor Boniface faces an uphill battle as he struggles to cope with pressure during the club’s 2025/2026 preseason.

Leverkusen managing director Simon Rolfes told Kicker that Victor Boniface, 24, “couldn’t handle the pressure at the beginning of the preseason.”

Rolfes added, “The possibility of a transfer was an issue because Boni wasn’t as resilient. He has improved, but the question is, can we give him the opportunities to become really good again?”

His future at the club appears uncertain after a proposed move to AC Milan fell through due to concerns over his injury history. Milan had agreed to a €5m loan fee with a €24m option to buy, but pulled out following four separate medical tests.

Speaking about the failed transfer, Boniface said during a live-stream session, “The move didn’t work out because of my past injuries. I had a knee injury twice on my right leg, and it has been there for a long time.”

The striker has endured two anterior cruciate ligament tears, muscular issues that sidelined him for parts of the last two seasons, and a collapsed €60m move to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr in January. He has also spoken publicly about how the loss of his mother nearly made him quit football entirely.

Despite the setbacks, Boniface remains under contract at Leverkusen until 2027 and returned to training on Wednesday, aiming to regain form and fight for his place in the team.

Note that the Nigerian international now faces competition for the lone striker role at Bayer Leverkusen from Patrik Schick and 19-year-old Christian Kofane.