Victor Boniface became the first Bayer Leverkusen player to report for preseason training as the Nigerian striker targets a fresh start ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, Bold Sports reports.
The Bundesliga club confirmed Boniface’s early return on Thursday, sharing pictures of the Super Eagles forward training at the club’s facilities on its official Instagram account.
The 25-year-old endured a frustrating 2025/26 season after joining Werder Bremen at the beginning of the campaign. Boniface made 11 Bundesliga appearances but struggled to rediscover his best form, failing to score while providing two assists.
His last competitive outing came on December 7 before persistent knee problems brought his season to a halt. Following medical consultations involving all parties, the Nigeria international underwent knee surgery, an operation that ruled him out for the majority of the campaign.
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After completing his rehabilitation at Bayer Leverkusen, Boniface returned to Werder Bremen in March and was named on the bench for the club’s 1-1 draw against VfB Stuttgart on April 26. However, he did not feature in any of Bremen’s remaining matches before the season concluded.
The difficult campaign marked a sharp contrast to Boniface’s impressive spell at Leverkusen before his loan move. The striker established himself as one of the Bundesliga’s standout forwards, registering 32 goals and 10 assists in 61 appearances while helping the club win the Bundesliga title, DFB-Pokal and German Super Cup.
Boniface will now be looking to make a strong impression under new Bayer Leverkusen head coach Carles Martínez, whose appointment officially took effect on July 1.
Martínez arrives at the BayArena after most recently managing Toulouse in France’s Ligue 1. The Spanish coach also spent four years working at Barcelona’s renowned La Masia academy, where he developed his coaching philosophy before moving into senior management.
With preseason now underway, Boniface’s early return underlines his determination to regain full fitness and compete for a place in Martínez’s plans as Bayer Leverkusen begin preparations for the new season.
