An agreement is in place for eighteen-year-old striker Artem Stepanov to join FC Utrecht on loan from Bayer Leverkusen. The move is a response to Utrecht seeking to address issues with their strikers, which included Noah Ohio's departure to Real Valladolid. The Ukrainian youth international spent the first half of the season on loan at 1.FC Nürnberg in Germany's second division, where he did not score in thirteen league games. It is not known if technical director Jordy Zuidam has negotiated an option to buy in the deal with the German club. Stepanov, who has yet to play an official match for Leverkusen, has a contract in Germany until mid-2027. According to Transfermarkt, he has a value of 1.5 million euros.