Bayer Leverkusen win race for Premier League target Demirbay

Bayer Leverkusen have announced they have won the race to sign Hoffenheim midfielder Kerem Demirbay.

Demirbay has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League in recent months but will instead remain in Germany.

The 25-year-old has proved an outstanding midfielder in the Bundesliga in the last three campaigns and will now join Leverkusen at the end of the season on a five-year deal. 

Premier League teams like Arsenal had been linked with a move for Demirbay, with Leverkusen forced to make him the most expensive player in their history to land him (€32m).

Demirbay has spent the last three seasons at Hoffenheim, though the middle campaign was disrupted by serious injury.

He has recovered from a number of long-term ankle problems to rediscover his best form this season, however.

In fact, only Robert Lewandowski (7.67) and Sebastian Haller (7.63) have a higher WhoScored rating in the Bundesliga than Demirbay (7.62) this season.

Furthermore, no player has won the WhoScored Man of the Match award more times than Demirbay in the Bundesliga this season (6).

Demirbay has also retuned four goals and eight assists in 24 league appearances for Hoffenheim and averages more key passes per game (3.2) than any other player.