Key Points
- Sport BILD says Bayer Leverkusen are now favouring Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner as a candidate for their next head coach.
- Leverkusen’s hierarchy, including Simon Rolfes and Fernando Carro, has been searching for a manager for weeks and wants a decision by the end of the month.
- Glasner is described as Leverkusen’s preferred internal option, but the report says he is not responding to their approaches yet.
- The same reporting says Glasner would prefer to stay in England this summer rather than return to the Bundesliga immediately.
- Other reports say Glasner is set to leave Crystal Palace at the end of the season, with his contract expiring without renewal.
Bayer Leverkusen (South London News), May 20, 2026, is moving towards a summer managerial change and wants clarity quickly. Sport BILD says the club wants to settle on a new coach by the end of the month, with Rolfes and Carro having spent weeks assessing options without landing on a final choice. The report frames Glasner as the internal favourite, which suggests Leverkusen see him as a strong fit for their next phase.
Why is Glasner not an easy target?
Glasner’s position appears complicated because the Austrian is not actively engaging with Leverkusen’s interest, according to Sport BILD.
The same reporting says he would rather remain in English football this summer, which weakens Leverkusen’s hand even though he is on their shortlist.
A separate report also says he has confirmed he will leave Crystal Palace at the end of the season after declining to renew his contract.
What do the reports say about Palace?
Crystal Palace’s situation matters because Glasner’s departure from Selhurst Park is already being treated as likely by other outlets.
ESPN reported in January 2026 that he said he would not renew his deal, with the contract due to expire at the end of the 2025-26 season.
That means any summer approach from Leverkusen would be made against the backdrop of a coach already preparing to leave Palace.
How strong is Leverkusen’s interest?
The German reports present Glasner as more than a passing idea. Sport BILD says he is the preferred candidate internally, and other later coverage repeated that Leverkusen were considering him as a replacement option.
However, the same reports also indicate that the club do not see the pursuit as straightforward if Glasner has already signalled he wants to stay in England.
What does this mean for the manager search?
Leverkusen’s search appears to be defined by urgency and uncertainty at the same time. Their willingness to look at Glasner shows they want a coach with proven top-level experience, but his reluctance to move makes him a difficult option to secure. The club is therefore left balancing its preferred target with the practical limits of what the manager wants.
How will this affect Crystal Palace?
If the reports are accurate, Palace will need to plan for the prospect of losing Glasner once the season ends. That could shape recruitment, pre-season planning and longer-term squad decisions, because the club would need clarity on who is leading the team before key summer work begins. The uncertainty also puts pressure on Palace to prepare alternatives even if they continue to hope he stays.
How likely is a deal?
On the evidence reported so far, Leverkusen’s interest is real but the move is not close to being straightforward.
Glasner seems to be the club’s preferred choice, yet his preference to remain in England is the main obstacle. That means the situation is better described as an active pursuit than an imminent appointment.
Background of the development
Glasner’s future has been under discussion for some time because his Palace contract runs to the end of the 2025-26 season and he has already said he will leave when it expires. Earlier reporting also noted that Palace were aware of his likely departure and that other major clubs had been monitoring him.
Leverkusen’s interest fits that wider pattern, as the Bundesliga side has been assessing its next managerial step amid a summer of change.
Prediction
For Crystal Palace, the most likely effect is renewed uncertainty over the dugout unless Glasner makes a quick commitment either way. For Bayer Leverkusen, the main consequence is that they may have to widen their shortlist if Glasner continues to prefer England, because a preferred target who does not engage is hard to secure. For supporters, this could mean a prolonged wait before either club’s summer plans become clear, with any decision likely to shape recruitment and pre-season preparation.
