Why is Florian Wiltz the future of Germany and Bayer Leverkusen?

Florian Wiltz, who scored in the recent game for Bayer Leverkusen against Mainz, became the youngest player to score 10 goals in the Bundesliga, and his performances attracted attention from all over Europe.

The attacking midfielder played an important role in Germany's 4-0 win over North Macedonia on Monday, his fourth appearance in the senior league.

The 18-year-old is clearly destined to ascend to the title and has been linked to all the European giants, including Bayern Munich and Chelsea. When second-placed Bayer Leverkusen host Bundesliga leader Bayern at home this Sunday, he will have a chance to show off his skills, but what does his club and national team expect from the midfielder? How far can his career go?

Wiltz background

Already a star in the cologne football club's youth team, Wiltz signed bayside Bayer Leverkusen in January 2020, much to the displeasure of his former clubs as neighboring teams have an unwritten agreement not to encroach on each other's talents.

The original idea was for Wiltz to finish the season at U19 levels, but just a few months later, Bayer Leverkusen's head coach Peter Bosch saw enough young players to make his first-team debut a week after the age of 17.

After becoming the club's youngest player to make a senior league appearance, Wiltz cemented his position in the first team. Just at the end of the 2019-20 season, the teenager even scored against Bayern Munich, becoming the youngest goal scorer in Bundesliga history at just 17 years and 34 days old – although that record was later broken by Yusufa Mukoko of Dortmund. This season he reached new heights.

location

Although occasionally used in youth and other positions on youth teams (left winger, right winger, midfielder), Wiltz is primarily a midfield attacking midfielder. At Bayer Leverkusen, he mainly operated behind the midfield striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

For Germany, he rarely plays a similar role on the bench, although his chances of getting a match against the likes of Gundogan, Thomas Müller, Kay Havertz and Jamal Musilla are slim.

Contrary to many of his contemporaries who liked to cut in from the outfield in the middle for an organized attack, Wiltz seemed to prefer a more traditional interpretation of the character — usually receiving the ball deep in the middle rather than on the wing.

advantage

Five goals in six games at Bayer Leverkusen so far this season, Wiltz' goal is undoubtedly the most notable in recent times. But despite his improved ability in front of goal (he was only one point behind last season's five goals in the Bundesliga), the overall quality and precision of his attack set him apart.

His short and medium distance passes often have perfect angle, speed and power. His excellent first touch and his good ability to judge offensive movements before receiving the ball bought him valuable time. The way he plays football is also refreshing; Everything he does has a purpose, and he understands selflessly enough the value of dribbling rather than dribbling just to dribble.

However, when he confronts his opponent, he also has a clear idea in his head. On top of that, Wiltz is an excellent conversion/counter-attacking player. When Bayer Leverkusen regained possession, he would immediately move to the right space to catch the ball, and once he had the ball under control, he could move quickly and make perfect direct passes or shots.

The end result – not just goals and assists, like the four key passes he made in the last 30 minutes against Armenia in Germany – has been improving, becoming such a differentiated player and making so many powerful contributions is very unusual for an 18-year-old top player.

Over the past year, amid media attention and growing expectations, Wiltz's demeanor and progressive approach have shown that he has an excellent mindset. If further evidence is needed, look at his skills on the pitch, even though he's labeled a creative player.

When it comes to his style of play, Wertz is a bit like former Ajax, Real Madrid and Tottenham midfielder Rafael van der Vaart, although the German is a little more flexible and should continue to create a more brilliant career than the 109-appearance Dutch international.

The most promising teenager in European football has few flaws (not least his determination and maturity topped his list of strengths). His lack of aerial ability has been pointed out to be a drawback, but as a 5ft 7"attacking midfielder he's clearly never going to be a header expert – and he's very skilled in most other aspects of the game, which is important for a player in his position, so why worry about too much in the air?

However, his less exciting areas of the game are slowly improving; He won more challenges in the opposition half than he did last season, he tracked hard, and his body looked stronger than it was when he first broke through.

He fits the place

While many of Europe's top clubs are watching him, don't expect Wiltz to move soon. His extraordinary progress hasn't gone unnoticed, not only with his contract through the summer of 2026, unlike many other top geniuses, who left his career plans to his parents.

No pressure from agents may quell some speculation that there's no better place in Europe to boost your sport than Bayer Leverkusen. However, when Wiltz is finally ready to leave, it will be at the right time, and it won't be cheap.