Bayer Leverkusen has bolstered its squad with the acquisition of United States international Malik Tillman from PSV Eindhoven. The 23-year-old attacking midfielder has signed a five-year contract that will keep him at the BayArena until 2030. The transfer fee is reported to be €35 million or €40 million, making Tillman one of Leverkusen's most expensive signings ever. Some reports state that the €35 million fee makes him their joint most expensive signing ever alongside Jarell Quansah, who arrived from Liverpool this summer. Other reports state the fee is €40 million, making him the most expensive outgoing transfer in PSV's history.

Tillman's arrival is intended to fill the void left by Florian Wirtz, who recently transferred to Liverpool for a Bundesliga-record fee. Leverkusen's managing director for sport, Simon Rolfes, expressed his excitement about the signing, stating, "In Malik Tillman we have gained another player who has great ability and is very dangerous in front of goal. He can play in midfield either as a number 10 or as a number 8. Malik is an absolute top signing for us". Rolfes further added that Tillman's style fits perfectly with Leverkusen and that his dynamism will provide a new boost to their attacking game.

Tillman, who was born in Nuremberg, Germany, to a German mother and an American father, spent eight years in Bayern Munich's youth system. Although he made his professional debut for Bayern and scored his first senior goal in 2021/22, he struggled to establish himself in the first team. He then joined Glasgow Rangers on loan in 2022/23, where he made 43 appearances and scored 12 goals with 5 assists. Following his time in Scotland, Tillman was loaned to PSV Eindhoven, where he contributed significantly to their success, leading the club to make the move permanent. In 73 games for PSV, Tillman recorded 25 goals and 16 assists. He also played a key role in PSV's back-to-back Eredivisie titles in 2023/24 and 2024/25. In the 2024-25 season, he made 34 appearances for PSV, scoring 16 goals and registering five assists.

Tillman has also made a mark on the international stage, earning 23 caps for the United States national team and scoring three goals in six games during the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Tillman himself expressed his enthusiasm about joining Bayer Leverkusen, saying, "This club has always played great football... In the last four or five years, Leverkusen have grown enormously and become attractive to a lot of players throughout Europe. I want to win something. That was my aim in Glasgow and in Eindhoven and it remains my aim here".

Notably, Bayern Munich had a buy-back clause and matching rights in Tillman's PSV contract, but they chose not to exercise this option.