Bayer Leverkusen officially announced the signing of striker Patrik Schick to a five-year contract yesterday. The Czech goal scorer joins the Bundesliga club from AS Roma. After spending the previous season on loan at RB Leipzig, Schick will remain in the German top-flight for the foreseeable future.
Patrik Schick: A Big Season Ahead for the New Bayer Leverkusen Striker
The Main Man in Attack
Leverkusen bring in Schick after parting ways with Kai Havertz and Kevin Volland. The club lost its two key attacking players to Chelsea and Monaco. Schick will now be tasked with filling the void left by the two goal-scoring leaders. Havertz led the way for the club with 12 goals, while Volland was close behind with 10 last season.
The Czech Republic played quite well for Leipzig, despite not being a regular player in the starting XI. Of the 22 appearances he made last season, seven were as a substitute. He still managed to score 10 goals for Leipzig, as he shared the goal-scoring duties with Timo Werner.
There should be plenty of appearances in the starting XI for Schick during the upcoming campaign. As a result, he could thrive as the main target man for Leverkusen. Despite the departure of Havertz, Schick will still be surrounded by talented players such as Leon Bailey, Karim Bellarabi, and Florian Wirtz. These players are capable of creating opportunities to set up Schick for a big season ahead.
His Best Season Yet?
Had Schick been able to feature in more matches for Leipzig, he would have likely set a career-best season goal total. His best campaign to date was for Sampdoria, when he registered 11 goals in 32 Serie A appearances. After finding success in the Bundesliga last season, it’s looking very likely he will record a season of over 15 goals.
Schick was tied for fifth in the league with most goals scored per 90 minutes and finished fourth in non-penalty goals per 90 minutes. These were career-high statistics he achieved last season, and it shows he is trending in the right direction in terms of his form.
The upcoming season is looking like it will be the best one yet. He’s coming off of one of his best seasons to date, and he will be the main target man for Leverkusen. Schick appears to have found a long-term home and it may prove to be the right destination for his career.
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