Official: Wirtz signs contract extension
Germany's red company team confirmed the details of a contract extension for their 17-year-old phenom on Wednesday.
It's now official. Teenage sensation Florian Wirtz has signed a contract extension with Leverkusen through 2023. The ongoing talks yielded a result both sides are apparently quite satisfied with. Die Werkself certainly got the most important parts of their in-house business done ahead of the upcoming transfer window. Moussa Diaby and Edmond Tapsoba signed contract extensions last week.
Wirtz, whom Peter Bosz quietly brought in from the Köln youth academy last January, almost instantly became one of the Bundesrepublik's most exciting young prospects. A goal scored last spring ensured that handed him the new record for youngest Bundesliga goalscorer ever; an achievement that Dortmund's Youssoufa Moukoko would surpass with his goal against Union Berlin last Friday night.
Even if Wirtz's record did not last long, his prospects in professional football remain as bright as ever. He has become a regular starter for Peter Bosz's Bayer, steadily improving throughout the course of the season and catching fire in the final rounds before the holiday break. Wirtz scored two league goals in the final three rounds of 2020. He also has two Europa League tallies and four assists to his credit.
"Florian has exceeded the high expectations we held for him in his first year as a pro," sporting director Rudi Völler said in a statement published on the club's website, "It's been impressive how confident he's been both in the Bundesliga and the international stage. If he continues to work and push himself in this manner, he'll certainly have a great career."
"My quick integration a top-class roster was certainly a motivating factor for me," Wirtz said in a separate statement, "I play with a super crew and am confident that we can win something together. We're on the right track. I see that in training every day."