Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz is the subject of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Manchester City's transfer to the opening of the summer window
Manchester City has shown their hand in the race for Florian Wirtz and push hard to sign the Bayer Leverkusen star. Wirtz is reserved as a replacement for the departing Kevin De Bruyne and was reportedly in England on Tuesday to hear the sales pitch of the city firsthand.
Wirtz scored 16 goals and gave 13 assists in 44 performances for Leverkusen this season and certainly seems to be leaving in the summer transfer window. The 22-year-old is under contract with the German club until June 2027, but they know that the time is right to sell for the best price.
Bayern Munich has made no secret of their interest, with club chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge who spoke his assets earlier this year. Real Madrid is also interested and the ongoing relocation of Xabi Alonso van Leverkusen to Madrid can strengthen their hand.
City has now officially become a member of the race after he received Wirtz and his father on Tuesday, according to Bild. Leverkusen are well aware of the interest and have a price tag of € 150 million (£ 126.2 million) on their star player.
City may have to be a one-up bayern, who is reportedly prepared to offer € 100 million (£ 84.7 million) for his signature. There had been reports that Wirtz only had eyes for Bayern, who have a history to break up the best talent of the Bundesliga, but those reports were rooted by Alonso.
“Florian Wirtz did not tell me that he only wants to go to Bayern,” he said last week when he was asked about the rumor. “This is not my information.”
City signed Nico Gonzalez, Omar Marmoush, Vorror Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov in the January transfer window and are ready to refresh their side this summer. Wirtz fits with the profile of the players who likes Pep Guardiola and the city boss is said to personally try to convince him to move to the Premier League.
Wirtz has been open about his desire for a movement, but it is still to see where he ends up. “I have a lot of respect for the boys here in Leverkusen, who, for example, come from South America or Africa and leave their families and surroundings for their career,” he recently told Sports Illustrated Germany.
“I absolutely like to leave my comfort zone at one point and experience something new. I know that the changing rooms of football are good enough good enough and I am convinced that I would soon find a place everywhere.”
His comments followed those of Rummenigge, who called him “the best player in Germany”, and said that he “makes no secret of the fact that it should clearly be our goal to sign Wirtz”.
The Bayern legend added: “Everyone at FC Bayern agrees that he is exactly the player we want to sign. To not weaken Leverkusen, but to strengthen us.”
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