Leverkusen extend contract with Bellarabi

Karim Bellarabi celebrates after scoring a goal for his side.

Berlin, Dec 29 (IANS) German football club Bayer Leverkusen have extended the contract of Karim Bellarabi until June 2017. Leverkusen made use of an option in Bellarabi's contract to bind the striker for another two years until June 2017, reports Xinhua.

"We have activated an option to extend the contract with Karim Bellarabi until June 30, 2017," Leverkusen announced in an official statement Sunday.

Bellarabi returned from a loan spell with Braunschweig to become one of the key players in Leverkusen.

The 24-year-old striker has made 17 appearances this season to score eight goals. He has played overall 61 Bundesliga games to mark 12 goals.

Leverkusen sit currently in third place of the Bundesliga standings, six points adrift of second placed Wolfsburg and 17 points away from front runners Bayern Munich.