Hamburg  - Swiss striker Eren Derdiyok on Friday reportedly turned down an offer from surprise Bundesliga leaders Hoffenheim who are looking for a replacement for injured top striker Vedad Ibisevic.

Derdiyok told German sports magazine Kicker that he was committed to a move to league rivals Bayer Leverkusen from his current Swiss club Basle.

"I am honoured by their interest, but I have already given my word to Bayer Leverkusen to join them and I will not change that," he was quoted as saying on the Kicker website.

It is not yet clear whether the 20-year-old Derdiyok will be joining Leverkusen for the start of the second round or at the end of the season.

Hoffenheim are looking for a new forward because the Bosnian Ibisevic, who has scored 18 goals for the team that is sensationally sitting at the top of the Bundesliga standings at the half-way stage, tore his cruciate ligament in a friendly game against SV Hamburg during a training camp in Spain on Wednesday.

A first examination after the match proved inconclusive and Ibisevic went to Germany for further tests on Thursday, where he was told that he would be out of action for up to six months.

He already underwent an operation in Heidelberg.

Hoffenheim coach Ralf Rangnick confirmed that the club was looking for a replacement.

"It is clear that we will now be intensifying our search. Out squad is very small, at the best of times," said Rangnick.

"A new striker could be a little bit older than Ibisevic. He needs to have a striker mentality and has to fit into our squad both as a person and financially.

"I am very disappointed for the player. He was doing very well in the training camp and I am sure he would have picked up where he left off at the end of last year." was (dpa)