Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel has tried to calm the growing hype around Christian Pulisic, telling ARD TV the U.S. international is still a "youth player."
Pulisic, 18, is receiving widespread plaudits in his first full season as a professional and scored the opener in the 3-0 DFB Pokal win over third-tier side Lotte on Tuesday, taking his tally to five goals and nine assists in 30 appearances in the current campaign.
The winger committed to a new Dortmund contract until 2020 this winter but, after Tuesday's game, ex-Germany star Mehmet Scholl suggested he could become the next BVB player to make the move to his former club Bayern Munich.
"I really love that player. I could imagine that Bayern might approach him because he has that special quality," Scholl, who played for Bayern from 1992 to 2007, said in his role as an ARD pundit. "He can create situations that should never exist."
Tuchel, standing next to Scholl, asked ARD host Alexander Bommes to "slow Mehmet down" and added: "The lad's a youth player. He could still play in the under-19s."
Pulisic has contributed a total of seven goals and nine assists in 42 competitive appearances for Dortmund, including eight in the Champions League and three in the Europa League.
Meanwhile, midfielder Julian Weigl has told Sport Bild that he feels honoured by Real Madrid and Germany star Toni Kroos' recent statement that he "will be a world-class player" one day.
"It means a lot to me when a great player who plays in the same position as me says that, but I know that I still have a long way to go until I get there," Weigl said.
When asked whether he can follow in Kroos' footsteps in playing for one of the world's biggest clubs, the 21-year-old replied: "I already play at one, and have only recently signed a new deal through to 2021.
"Sure, Toni is a role model. He prevailed as a personality at a top club."