Leverkusen director plans to keep Wirtz and Alonso beyond this season
| Simon Rolfes confident to keep Wirtz and Alonso | Stuart Franklin/Getty Images |
With hosts of European giants continuing to pursue Leverkusen’s key figures, Simon Rolfes remains confident about their chances of keeping Florian Wirtz and Xabi Alonso beyond this season. When asked by Sky Germany whether he’s convinced to have them for next season, Rolfes replied with a resounding “yes”.
Wirtz won a record five “Player of the Match” awards in the Champions League this season. In the Bundesliga, he’s heading for another double-double season with 9 goals and 9 assists to his name just after 20 games.
"Both of them are under contract here, and they’re feeling very comfortable,” the 43-year-old stresses. “Florian’s development has been incredible. We’d love to keep him long-term, but there is no signature yet. If there was one, we’d have announced it already,” adds the former German international.
As for the coach, Rolfes believes the trust is there for him to grow his career in Leverkusen. “Xabi knows that he has a team around him that matches his ambition. And he feels he’s the important part of what we’re trying to do”.
Since the start of last season, Leverkusen only lost a single Bundesliga game. They also booked an automatic place into the Round of 16 in the Champions League. Their DFB-Pokal defense will continue on Wednesday when they host 2. Bundesliga table-toppers 1. FC Köln.
