Ernest Poku
Ernest Poku is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Bayer Leverkusen. He is a Dutch youth international.
Club career
He played as a youngster for FC Amsterdam prior to joining the youth academy at AZ in the summer of 2019. He signed his first professional contract with AZ in February 2020, with the contract valid until mid-2023. On 30 April 2021, he made his debut for Jong AZ as a substitute in a 1–0 win over Roda JC. He trained with the club's first team during the pre-season for the 2021–22 [AZ Alkmaar season|2021–22 season], and made his debut for AZ as a substitute in a 1–0 defeat to RKC Waalwijk in the opening match of the season on 14 August 2021.On 28 January 2022, after a contract extension, he was promoted from Jong AZ to the first team of AZ. He scored his first goal in the Eredivisie for AZ Alkmaar on 28 April 2024, the third goal in a 3-0 away against NEC Nijmegen. He made his debut in the UEFA Europa League in October 2024, appearing as a substitute in a 2-0 defeat away against Athletic Bilbao. He played in the final of the KNVB Cup as AZ lost to Go Ahead Eagles on penalties on 21 April 2025. The game had ended 1-1 in normal time after Go Ahead Eagles scored a 98th-minute equaliser.
On 12 August 2025, German Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen announced the signing of Poku for a reported fee of €10 million with an additional €2 million in add-ons. He signed a five-year deal until June 2030.