Manchester City transfer target Florian Wirtz will sign a new contract with current club Bayer Leverkusen, according to Kicker.
The German publication claims the “deal is done” in terms of the German international extending his stay with the Bundesliga champions until 2028.
Wirtz’s current deal was set to expire in 2027 but he is poised to sign on fresh terms which means he will receive a substantial pay rise.
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Kicker claim that the 21-year-old will become the first player in Leverkusen’s history to earn “double-digit” millions a year, although it is still believed to be well below the €20m+ annual salary he could have received if he had decided to leave the BayArena.
City were lining him up to replace De Bruyne
Multiple reports had suggested that Pep Guardiola’s side had identified Wirtz as a potential successor to Kevin De Bruyne.
Several other teams, including Arsenal, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, were also tracking the German international but his €100m+ plus tag would have put off most suitors.
There were suggestions that there could be a possible swap deal, with the Cityzens having two players who Leverkusen were interested in buying, but such an arrangement now looks dead in the water.
What does Wirtz’s decision mean for City’s transfer plans?
If the German was the no.1 target to replace De Bruyne as many have reported then it leaves City with plenty to think about.
Of course, keeping De Bruyne is still an option, although his recent injury problems and less-than-stellar form suggest that the best decision would be to part ways when his contract expires at the end of the season.
Alternative targets such as Shakhtar Donetsk’s Georgiy Sudakov, PSG’s Xavi Simons and even Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze may be considered but they are not exactly of the same calibre as Wirtz.
Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here