Michael Ballack has played down comparisons between Chelsea star Kai Havertz and Bayer Leverkusen’s teenage sensation Florian Wirtz.
Leverkusen just cannot stop producing these unbelievably talented attacking midfielders, can they?
After Havertz joined Chelsea in the summer, the Bundesliga side have already found a replacement in Wirtz.
The 17-year-old has four goals and five assists in just 16 appearances in all competitions for Leverkusen; an incredible feat for such a young player.
Unsurprisingly, there have been suggestions that Wirtz might even have more potential than his one-time teammate.
Former Chelsea and Leverkusen icon Ballack believes it is too early to compare the two.
“That can’t be said yet, because Kai Havertz was also able to mature for a few years,” the former Germany international told Sport1.
“It is Wirtz’s first year as a regular player. But he does it well above average.”
While Ballack said the teenager is improving and has caught up well physically, he still thinks what Havertz did at Leverkusen was unheard of.
“Wirtz is a different type than Havertz and is smaller.
“Havertz’s statistics were unparalleled at his age, so be careful with comparisons.”
In his last season at Leverkusen, Havertz managed 16 goals and eight assists in all competitions.
Some Chelsea fans understandably have reservations about the 21-year-old after his recent poor performances, but recent bias might have influenced some people’s opinions of him.
Havertz might have taken more time to adapt than some would expect, but his record speaks for itself.
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