“He will be the second Kai Havertz, who now plays at Chelsea,” said Bayern legend Lothar Matthäus.“He will go the same way as Havertz.
Chelsea now linked to ‘the second Kai Havertz’ who already has 11 goals and assists in 7 matches this season. https://www.transfermarkt.com/florian-wirtz/leistungsdaten/spieler/598577
Chelsea are reportedly one of several clubs monitoring Bayer Leverkusen’s sparkling teenager Florian Wirtz.
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – SEPTEMBER 30: Florian Wirtz celebrates after scoring to make it 2-0 Bayer Leverkusen during a UEFA Europa League group stage match between Celtic and Bayer Leverkusen at Celtic Park, on September 30, 2021, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ross MacDonald/SNS Group via Getty Images)
According to Goal, the Blues have Wirtz firmly on their radar, but they are not alone.
Wirtz blast onto the scene last season, after he made 38 appearances for Leverkusen across all competitions.
He can actually thank Chelsea for being promoted to the first team.
After Kai Havertz set sail for Stamford Bridge last summer, the Bundesliga side needed another young talisman to take his place.
Enter Wirtz, who grabbed his opportunity in the spotlight with both hands.
In September 2021, he set a new best-mark as the youngest player in Bundesliga history to reach seven goals, aged 18 years, three months and 25 days. Timo Werner held the previous best-mark.
The teenager made it a record 10 Bundesliga goals before the month was out, usurping Lukas Podolski in the all-time annnals.
“He will be the second Kai Havertz, who now plays at Chelsea,” said Bayern legend Lothar Matthäus.“He will go the same way as Havertz.
”In training, I try to emulate how [Havertz] acts in front of goal and how he moves between the spaces,” Wirtz told Sport Bild at the turn of 2021.
“It’s an incentive for me to become even better than Kai. I always want to be the best and hate to lose.”
Florian Wirtz isn’t only living up to his billing as Kai Havertz’s successor at Bayer Leverkusen.
The 18-year-old Germany international is proving himself to be ahead of the Havertz curve.
Wirtz trumps Havertz for goal involvement, and scores 100 percent for clear-cut chance conversion compared to King Kai’s 33.3 percent at the same age.
The Golden boy nominees four goals and four assists this season have helped Leverkusen climb to second in the league, three points behind leaders Bayern Munich, who they meet in a fortnight.