Arsenal have reportedly emerged as strong contenders in the race for highly coveted Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz, positioning themselves alongside some of Europe’s elite clubs including Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City.
Wirtz verhandelt – mit Leverkusen BILD Hamburg28 Nov 2024Axel Hesse Nicht zu stoppen: Florian Wirtz (21/l.) läuft Salzburgs Kamil Piatkowski (24) davon BILD-NOTE 1 für Florian Wirtz (21) nach der überragenden Leistung beim 5:0 gegen Salzburg. Kein Wunder, dass Leverkusen um den Superstar kämpft... Nachdem sich Real Madrid, Bayern, Manchester City und Arsenal im Poker um Wirtz immer mehr in Position gebracht haben, eröffnet nun Meister Leverkusen die nächste Runde. Bayer will seinen Mittelfeld-antreiber halten und ihn über das aktuelle Vertragsende 2027 hinaus binden. Nach Informationen von SPORT BILD wurden jetzt die ersten Gespräche über eine Vertragsverlängerung geführt. Nicht alleine mit Vater und Berater Hans Wirtz (70), auch der Nationalspieler und dessen Mutter Karin Groß (64), zu der der Jungstar ein sehr enges und vertrauensvolles Verhältnis hat, saßen mit am Tisch. Das zeigt, wie ernst Wirtz die Bayer-offensive nimmt. Der Plan der Bosse Fernando Carro (60) und Simon Rolfes (42) steht: Wirtz soll mindestens um ein Jahr verlängern, was auch der Familie gesagt wurde. Geht der begehrteste deutsche Spieler nicht darauf ein, bevorzugt der Meister einen Wechsel 2025. Carro sprach bereits von mindestens „150 Millionen Euro“Ablöse. Article Name:Wirtz verhandelt – mit Leverkusen Publication:BILD Hamburg Author:Axel Hesse Start Page:14 End Page:14
Bild 28 November 2024
According to SPORT BILD, Bayer Leverkusen have already opened discussions about a potential contract extension with Wirtz’s representatives. Notably, these talks have included Hans Wirtz, the 21-year-old’s father and advisor, as well as his mother, Karin Groß.
Leverkusen executives Fernando Carro and Simon Rolfes have made their intentions clear: they want Wirtz to extend his stay for another year until 2028.
LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 26: Florian Wirtz of Leverkusen runs with the ball during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD5 match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Salzburg at BayArena on November 26, 2024 in Leverkusen, Germany. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images
If Wirtz chooses not to extend, Leverkusen are prepared to sell him in 2025, with Carro stating that they would expect a fee of at least €150 million. Wirtz’s current valuation by Transfermarkt is €130 million, which reflects his impact on the pitch this season.
LEVERKUSEN, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 26: Florian Wirtz of Leverkusen reacts during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD5 match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Salzburg at BayArena on November 26, 2024 in Leverkusen, Germany. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images
In 19 games, Wirtz has scored nine goals and provided four assists, strengthening his reputation as Germany’s most promising player.
For Arsenal, under the guidance of Mikel Arteta, bringing in a player like Wirtz would be a major coup and, at the time of writing, seems like a fanciful tale.
The competition for Wirtz will be fierce, with Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City also keen. However, Arsenal have been making big moves in recent transfer windows, bringing in players like Declan Rice and Kai Havertz.
Arsenal's German midfielder #29 Kai Havertz (L) celebrates with Arsenal's English midfielder #41 Declan Rice (R) after scoring their third goal during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium in London on April 23, 2024. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images
Adding Wirtz to their squad would be another statement of their intent to build a side capable of competing with Europe’s elite.
The key question now is whether Leverkusen can convince Wirtz to commit beyond 2027, or if a major transfer battle will be on the cards in 2025.
For Arsenal, the opportunity to sign one of Europe’s brightest talents is an exciting prospect, though it will require a significant financial outlay and a convincing pitch for their long-term project.
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