Florian Wirtz, the Bayer Leverkusen starlet who dreams of Barca

Florian Wirtz, the Bayer Leverkusen starlet who dreams of Barca

The youngster would like to play for the Catalan giants one day but isn't getting ahead of himself

Florian Wirtz, one of the impressive young stars in the Bundesliga, dreams of playing for Barcelona one day. The Bayer Leverkusen player, 17, spoke to Sport Bild in an interview and revealed that.

“When I was a kid I always wanted to play at Barca,” he said. “Nothing has changed in that sense but until then I still have some time.”

Despite being constantly on the wish lists of big European sides, the German youngster has penned a new contract with Bayer Leverkusen until 2023. The player is a similar profile to Kai Havertz, another young player signed by Chelsea from Germany last summer.

Wirtz has been compared to Havertz from a young age but he has a lot of ambition.

“It gives me an incentive to be even better than Kai,” he said. “I always want to be the best and I hate to lose.” He has five goals and six assists this season across all competitions.

Wirtz is the second-youngest player to score in the Bundesliga behind Yousuffa Moukoko, of Borussia Dortmund (16 years old). “I try to imitate (Havertz’s) manner in front of goal and between the lines,” admitted Wirtz.

Leverkusen’s sporting director Rudi Voller praised him. “If he keeps working and evolving, there’s no doubt that Florian will have a sensational career,” he said.

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