When asked about how Leverkusen developed players such as Frimpong - who has been in Germany since 2021 - Ozek added: "I think we had a good structure to develop players and also we had the right coach.

I think the coach had a big impact on the development of the individual players.

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"Then good scouting, the scouting team is still doing a good job, and that's why we were able to sign this kind of players."

Wirtz and Frimpong were just two of the topics covered in a wide-ranging interview with Ozek, who also discussed the success of Xabi Alonso, who on Sunday was revealed as the new Real Madrid head coach following a successful spell at Leverkusen, and highly-rated defender Jonathan Tah.

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Read on for more from Ozek...

On Alonso, Tah and Tuchel...

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Can you describe your role and what it entailed at Bayer Leverkusen?

"I was working as a right hand of Simon Rolfes, CEO of sports in Bayer Leverkusen and we had a small team doing the squad planning, transfer management, loan management, coach scouting and we did it together.

"So it's day by day, travelling all around the world, speaking with agents, meeting clubs, meeting players and try to prepare and run the window together as a team.

"I don't know if there is a secret [to Leverkusen's success], but I think working as a team all together, what I can say, there was a special atmosphere in the club.

I think this makes us successful with the players on the pitch and a fantastic coach."

On the intricacies of transfers...

How do you balance selling players while still building a competitive squad?

"Selling is a very important point because of all the financial rules we have, in the different leagues, also in UEFA, and at the same time, we are thinking a bit in categories.

"It depends if you are a top club or a selling club, but no matter what kind of club you are, you always have players out of project, and it's important to start very early, to understand which players we want to sell, which players we want to leave, and to work on it in an active way."

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They may be getting a good commission in our club, and then he's not interested to bring the player to another club, so that's why it's important to push also by ourselves."

How do you weigh the right timing in selling players versus team stability?

"Timing is a very important point.

It's not about the club name, it's more about the right project to being successful together and to work in a team."

Would you consider working in England?

"It depends on the city, where it is, but yes, the Premier League is the best league in the world, so of course it's an option."

How does the role of a sporting director differ between the Premier League and Bundesliga?

"In the Bundesliga, the sporting director role is more classic