‘Justin Kluivert to snub Erik ten Hag amid Bournemouth developments’
Justin Kluivert could turn down the interest in his services from Erik ten Hag’s Bayer Leverkusen.
Former Manchester United boss Ten Hag faces a big job on his hands as he looks to live up to the lofty expectations set by predecessor Xabi Alonso.
The Spaniard led Leverkusen to a remarkable invincible domestic campaign in 2023/24, winning both the Bundesliga and the German cup.
Meanwhile, Kluivert managed a career-best return of 13 goals and eight assists for Bournemouth last season.
Kluivert should stay at Bournemouth despite Leverkusen interest
The Netherlands international helped the Cherries finish ninth in the Premier League last season by scoring 12 goals in 34 top-flight appearances.
According to talkSPORT [13 June], Leverkusen have been in contact with Bournemouth to enquire Kluivert’s availability.
However, the Dutchman previously struggled to hit his best form while playing for some of the biggest names in European football such as Roma and Leipzig.
Kluivert has now made a significant impact for Andoni Iraola’s men, and could be wary of a move to Leverkusen, having struggled in the Bundesliga for Leipzig in 2020/21, scoring just three goals in 19 league appearances.
World Cup 2026 should be driving force behind Kluivert’s transfer decision
At the age of 26, Kluivert has still made just seven senior appearances for the Netherlands, with two of those arriving in wins over Finland and Malta on 7 June and 10 June, respectively.
| Justin Kluivert stats | Premier League 2024/25 |
| Appearances | 34 |
| Goals | 12 |
| Assists | 6 |
By helping his international team to victories in World Cup qualifiers, the Bournemouth man will have bolstered his chances of being involved in next summer’s tournament.
The attacking midfielder has played himself into Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman’s thoughts by performing consistently for the Cherries in the Premier League.
But a move to Leverkusen, where he would face the enormous task of effectively replacing Liverpool-bound Florian Wirtz, who scored 16 goals and made 14 assists across all competitions last season, could prove to be a tall order.
Should Kluivert move to Ten Hag’s men and fail to meet expectations, he could damage his chances of featuring in the 2026 World Cup.
However, if he continues to shine for Bournemouth, he will likely appear for the Netherlands in the USA next summer.