Ernest Poku was born on 28 January 2004 in Hamburg, Germany, of Ghanaian descent. He progressed through FC Amsterdam and AZ Alkmaar's youth setups, signing his first professional contract with AZ in February 2020 and making his senior debut for AZ on 14 August 2021 against RKC Waalwijk. He scored his first Eredivisie goal on 28 April 2024 in a 3-0 win over NEC Nijmegen and reached the 2025 KNVB Cup final, where AZ lost on penalties to Go Ahead Eagles.
On 12 August 2025 Bayer Leverkusen signed him for a reported €10 million plus €2 million in add-ons on a five-year contract through June 2030. He wears the number 19 shirt.
For the Netherlands he progressed through U16, U19 and U21 levels — including his first U19 goal against Ukraine in June 2022 — and is on the senior radar.
A right-footed forward / right winger, Poku combines pace, dribbling and clean technique on the ball — exactly the profile Leverkusen identified to refresh their wide attack alongside Nathan Tella and Eliesse Ben Seghir.
Public information about him is still developing, and this profile will be updated as more career and biographical detail becomes confirmed from independent sources.