TSG extend Baumgartner's contract until 2025

"Christoph's development at TSG has been an absolute success story for both sides and we're looking forward to the next chapter," said director of football Alexander Rosen, who added: "We must always remind ourselves that he only made his Bundesliga debut in the penultimate game of the 2019 season and has since developed into a key player and the face of TSG at breakneck speed." With that in mind, Rosen believes that it is "evident a player in this category is already on the radar of top international clubs". However, the contract extension is "an even stronger sign that Baumi is now so clearly committed to TSG".

Christoph Baumgartner said: "TSG have supported me on and off the pitch since I was 17. I have developed into a Bundesliga professional and an international at Hoffenheim and I'm firmly convinced we can still achieve a lot together." Especially amid the fixture congestion caused by the coronavirus in the second half of 2020, "the team spirit at TSG was great. I've grown as a player and a person during a challenging time. And I have the optimal conditions here to develop further. I want to repay the trust in me with top performances and lead the way for TSG."

Head coach Sebastian Hoeness is also delighted to have the 21-year-old Austrian as part of his long-term plans. "Christoph is a highly-talented and very intelligent footballer with great ambition. His ingenuity, his understanding of space on the pitch, his eye for a team-mate and his danger in front of goal are already extraordinary. I'm looking forward to continuing the development of such a player."

Baumgartner joined the Hoffenheim academy from the youth set-up of Austrian club St. Pölten in the summer of 2017. He made his Bundesliga debut in a 1-0 defeat to SV Werder Bremen in May 2019. In the following season, he became an important figure for the team and has now made 50 appearances in the top-flight, notching 11 goals and nine assists. He has also played eight times in the Europa League (three goals and two assists) and four times in the DFB Cup. Last season, Baumgartner was voted "Player of the Year" by the TSG Hoffenheim fans. In September 2020, he made his debut for the Austrian national team in a 2-1 win over Norway in the UEFA Nations League.