Centre-back carousel at Lever: one's out, another in

Even though Jonathan Tah's departure from Leverkusen has been a topic for more than a month, another member of Xabi Alonso's defensive trio will eventually leave the club. Ivory Coast international Odilon Kossounou is set to spend the next season on loan at Atalanta, after which the Serie A side will most likely activate the buyout option.

Kossounou was a regular starter during Leverkusen's magnificent campaign last season until he returned from the African Cup of Nations. Afterwards, Piero Hincapie and Josip Stanisic slowly but surely squeezed the 23-year-old out of the starting 11. Moreover, out of the previous 13 Bundesliga matches, Kossounou spent half of them on the bench and did not start in the UEFA Europa League quarter-final, semi-final, or final, either.

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Considering all that, Bayer's decision to loan and eventually sell the defender is unsurprising. However, this club's move probably closes the door on Tah's departure. As for the deal's financial details, Atalanta will pay 5 million euros for Kossounou's loan, whereas the buyout clause's worth will depend on the number of games the Ivorian plays. However, sources from Italy and Germany claim it won't amount to less than 30 million euros. The defender, who is expected to undergo his medicals today, joined Leverkusen from the Belgian Club Brugge for 23 million euros.

Nevertheless, Bayer have already secured the replacement in the defensive line - Nordi Mukiele arrives on loan from Paris Saint-Germain. The Frenchman of DR Congolese descent - in whom Bayern Munich were also interested - is primarily a right-back but can also cover the right centre-back position in the formation with three central defenders.

He has also worn RB Leipzig's jersey in the German Bundesliga, so further adaptation won't be necessary. According to the latest information, Leverkusen will cover the player's full salary, and the agreement does not include the buyout option. Alonso's crew face Carl Zeiss Jena, a fourth-tier club, today (7 pm) in the 1/32 round of the German Cup.

GERMAN CUP/DFB POKAL

1/32 finals

Tuesday

Preussen Munster - Stuttgart 0-5 (0-3)

/Stiller 7, Demirovic 15, Stenzel 35, Woltemade 72, Karazor 80 pen/

Wednesday

19.00: (30.0) CZ Jena (13.0) Leverkusen (1.03)

***odds are subject to change***