Paul Wanner has been one of the impressive young players in the Bundesliga this season. The 18-year-old attacking midfielder hit the ground running for FC Heidenheim after arriving from Bayern Munich on a season-long loan in the summer.
Wanner has scored four goals in eight appearances for Heidenheim across all competitions. The youngster also has one assist in the Bundesliga. Wanner is also getting the opportunity to play in Europe after helping Heidenheim to get through the qualifying stage of the UEFA Conference league.
Bayern wanted Wanner to have another loan spell before making a case for game time in the senior team. After excelling for SV Elversberg in the second division last season, Bayern wanted a top-flight loan spell to be the next step in Wanner’s development. PSV Eindhoven reportedly showed interest in Wanner, but he eventually decided to stay in the Bundesliga by signing for Heidenheim.
The record Bundesliga champions rate Wanner highly. They want to integrate him into the first team next season. However, the youngster will make a final call on his future next summer.
According to Sky Sports in Germany, Wanner’s future at Bayern is open. The youngster’s decision will depend on game time and Die Roten’s potential move for Florian Wirtz. He wants to play in the Champions League next season. The onus is on Bayern to come up with a plan that will assure Wanner that his long-term future is in Bavaria. They cannot afford to lose him permanently. Another loan can be an option since his contract in Munich expires in 2027.
Wanner leaning towards representing Germany
Courtesy of good form at the club level, Wanner was called up for Germany U-21 during the international break. DFB is confident about convincing Wanner to represent Germany at the senior level. Julian Nagelsmann is closely following the development of the youngster at FC Heidenheim.
According to Sky Sports, the clear tendency of Wanner is to choose Germany as his team at the international level. Austria is also trying to convince Wanner. Ralf Rangnick insisted that Wanner is yet to make a final decision as he remains in contact with the youngster.
The decision from Wanner regarding his international team will come at some point this season. The young attacking midfielder will likely get a senior cap by the end of the season if he continues to thrive at Heidenheim. The next 12 months will be big for Wanner at the club and country level.