According to Süddeutsche Zeitung, Paul Wanner has rejected a senior call-up for Germany, leaving his international career in the balance.
Soon he must choose between representing Germany and Austria.
Wanner is currently on loan at FC Heidenheim from Bayern Munich and is impressing both in the Bundesliga and in the Conference League.
The 18-year-old attacking midfielder may have a promising career ahead of him at Bayern. He first made his debut for the club at 16, making him the youngest Bayern player in Bundesliga history.
Wanner is showing fantastic potential and is clearly able to hold his own in Germany’s top flight.
So much so that Germany manager, Julian Nagelsmann, decided to call-up the attacking midfielder to the senior squad for the first time this November.
However, much to the former Bayern manager’s surprise, the 18-year-old has declined the chance to play with Die Mannschaft.
Instead, he wishes to continue to play for Germany U21s where he’ll get more playing time.
However, it raise a bigger question: Will Wanner play for Germany or Austria at senior level?
Wanner was born in Austria and is eligible to play for both his birth nation as well as neighbouring Germany.
As per reports, Wanner’s dream is to play at the World Cup. This is certainly something he can do with Germany. However, the youngster also values playing time. If he feels that playing time with Germany will be limited, Austria could be the more attractive option.
Too Much Competition?
When looking at Wanner’s natural position, the 18-year-old is going to have to compete with the likes of Florian Wirtz (21) and Jamal Musiala (21) when it comes to Die Mannschaft. Additionally, if he adapts his game to become a number nine, he still has Maximilian Beier (22) to deal with.
It all depends on how much Wanner backs his ability and exactly how much playing time he will get with Germany in the future. The likelihood is that he’ll be competing for a starting 11 place with players that will be considered some of the world’s top players for many years to come.
In comparison, Wanner could have more of an impact with Austria, who themselves have a solid squad capable of playing in Euros and World Cups in the future.
GGFN | Jamie Allen
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