Rising star Wirtz extends contract at Leverkusen until 2027
LEVERKUSEN, Germany (AP) — Florian Wirtz, widely considered one of the most promising attacking midfielders in European soccer, looks set to stay at Bayer Leverkusen.
The club said on Thursday the 19-year-old Wirtz signed a contract extension to 2027 on a contract that still had four more years to run.
Wirtz became the youngest goal-scorer in Bundesliga history just after his 17th birthday in June 2020, since overtaken by Borussia Dortmund’s Youssoufa Moukoko. Wirtz was one of the youngest ever players for Germany when he made his debut last year. He has four international appearances.
With 13 goals and 16 assists in 60 Bundesliga games, Wirtz has widely been compared to Chelsea’s Kai Havertz, another forward who started his pro career at Leverkusen.
“The development over the past two years was almost breathtaking from my perspective and definitely not foreseeable in this form,” Wirtz said. “It’s clear for me that I also have to thank the team for it being such unbelievable fun.”
The extension is also a sign of Leverkusen’s faith in Wirtz during a lengthy period on the sidelines after a severe knee injury in March.
Leverkusen finished third in the Bundesliga last season and has strengthened its attack by signing young striker Adam Hlozek to play alongside fellow Czech Patrik Schick.
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