Bayer Leverkusen are reportedly set to receive an €8.5m windfall from Gustavo Puerta’s impending move from Racing Santander to Nottingham Forest. According to Kicker, Nottingham are preparing to trigger the €18m release clause in the Colombian midfielder’s contract with the Spanish club. Leverkusen stand to benefit significantly because of the sell-on agreement negotiated when Puerta left the BayArena last summer.
Get German Football News reported on Bayer’s €1m sale of Puerta to Racing Santander in 2025. As part of that deal, Leverkusen retained a 50 percent share of any future transfer profit generated by the Spanish side. With Santander now poised to sell Puerta for €18m, their profit on the midfielder amounts to €17m. Half of that figure – €8.5m – is therefore set to flow directly to Leverkusen.
Gustavo Puerta becomes major financial success for Leverkusen
The deal represents a remarkable financial return on a player who never established himself as an important first-team option in Leverkusen. Puerta originally joined Bayer from Bogotá FC for approximately €1m in January 2023. A subsequent loan spell with 1. FC Nürnberg failed to provide a breakthrough, while intense midfield competition involving players such as Granit Xhaka and Exequiel Palacios restricted his opportunities at the BayArena.
The Colombian later spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Hull City before Leverkusen sanctioned his permanent move to Santander. Rather than demanding a substantial immediate fee, Bayer accepted the modest €1m payment while protecting themselves with the lucrative sell-on clause.
Puerta’s subsequent development in Spain – followed by strong performances at the 2026 World Cup – has now transformed that decision into a significant source of revenue. Nottingham Forest are not expected to use the 23-year-old immediately either. Kicker reports that Puerta will be loaned directly to Olympiakos for the 2026/27 season after completing his move to England.
Leverkusen will nevertheless emerge as one of the biggest financial beneficiaries of the transaction, collecting €8.5m from a player they sold only one year ago for a fraction of that amount.
