Bayer Leverkusen have confirmed that young midfielder Florian Wirtz has put pen to paper on a new contract to tie himself to the club until 2027.
The 19-year-old has emerged as one of the game’s most exciting young talents and has attracted interest from a number of enormous sides, including the likes of Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, who were circling as his previous deal entered its final 12 months.
Despite the interest, a contract extension always seemed more likely and Wirtz has now inked a new five-year deal to continue his development in Leverkusen.
Wirtz, who is already a full German international, has 19 goals and 22 assists in 78 games for Leverkusen and had hoped to add to that tally before a nasty cruciate ligament injury ended his season prematurely back in March.
He is expected to miss the start of the new season and the jury is still out on whether Wirtz will play again in 2022.
“Things are going well so far,” Leverkusen coach Gerardo Seoane recently told DPA when asked about Wirtz’s recovery. “It could be that things go quickly [while] it also depends on how disciplined and hard-working [Florian] is.
“[He could return] in October or probably November. If he’s fit and can train, he might get a call-up to the squad [this year], but I don’t expect Florian back until 2023,” the Bayer tactician added.
