Walker Zimmerman has steadily climbed the ladder to MLS stardom over the past two years, anchoring FC Dallas’ runs to the 2016 Supporters’ Shield and US Open Cup trophies and earning his first cap as a senior US international against Jamaica last month.
A new report says that two of Germany’s bigger clubs have taken notice.
Metro New York reported on Tuesday that Zimmerman is on the radar of VfB Stuttgart and Hannover 96, two second-division clubs currently vying for promotion to the Bundesliga.
Metro’s Kristian Dyer writes that both clubs have “a heavy interest in the savvy young center back,” who represented the US at multiple youth national team levels and starred at Furman University for two seasons before joining MLS as a member of the 2013 Generation adidas class.
The home of US international Julian Green, Stuttgart currently sit in first place in the 2.Bundesliga, while Hannover – where retired USMNT legend Steve Cherundolo once starred and now works on the coaching staff – are in third. In Germany the top two finishers in the second tier are automatically promoted at season's end, while the third-place team meets the first division's third-from-last side in a playoff to determine the final spot in the top flight for the following season.
“It does not surprise me that teams from all over the world are paying attention, and are interested in FC Dallas players,” FCD technical director Fernando Clavijo said in a statement to MLSsoccer.com.
A native of Lawrenceville, Georgia, Zimmerman signed a new contract with Dallas in February 2016.
