Juventus have completed the signing of Kerim Alajbegović from Bayer Leverkusen, confirming the 18-year-old attacker as their latest addition ahead of the new season. The Bosnia and Herzegovina international has signed a five-year contract, keeping him in Turin until June 2031. The deal carries a guaranteed fee of around €30m, payable in four instalments, with performance-related add-ons that could push the total value up to €35m.
The move caps a remarkable few weeks for the teenager. Alajbegović spent last season on loan at Red Bull Salzburg, and impressed enough that Leverkusen triggered a buy-back clause worth around €8m to bring him back to the Bundesliga this summer. Barely had he returned before Juventus moved to sign him, seeing off competition from Chelsea, Atalanta and Napoli along the way.
Juventus's interest reflects both the player's talent and the level of competition he attracted elsewhere. Alajbegović is a wide attacker comfortable on either flank and equally effective with either foot, a two-footedness that makes him hard to read for defenders and gives Juventus flexibility to use him on the left or the right. At 18, he also fits the profile of the younger, high-upside signings Juventus have prioritised in recent transfer windows, arriving with long-term resale value attached to the fee as well as first-team potential.
For Leverkusen, it is more a case of turning an academy graduate into a profit than losing a first-team regular. Alajbegović came through their youth ranks after starting out at Cologne, but he never made a competitive senior appearance for the Bundesliga club before his loan to Salzburg. Sporting director Simon Rolfes said Alajbegović had "made further significant progress in Salzburg following his time in our academy", but added that "the competition in our squad is very strong" — a polite way of explaining why there was no obvious route into the first team. The sale still nets Leverkusen a healthy return on a player who cost them only a fraction of that fee to bring back from Austria.
His numbers at Salzburg back up the price tag. Alajbegović scored 13 goals and set up four more in 44 appearances across all competitions last season, having already contributed 38 goals and 19 assists in 78 youth matches for Leverkusen's under-17s and under-19s. He has also broken into the Bosnia and Herzegovina senior side, winning 11 caps and scoring twice, and started for his country at the 2026 World Cup, where his goal against Qatar was shortlisted for goal of the tournament.
Fitting into Luciano Spalletti's squad won't be straightforward. Juventus already have Kenan Yildiz and Francisco Conceição as established options across the front line, so Alajbegović is more likely to begin life in Turin as an impact substitute and rotation option than a guaranteed starter. His versatility across either flank still gives Spalletti a squad option who can cover for injuries or a congested fixture list from day one, with his role expected to grow as the season goes on.