Chelsea are not expected to make a move for Liverpool attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.
The German international joined the Reds in a deal worth £116m last year, but he had previously worked under Blues boss Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, and there were suggestions that the pair could be reunited at Stamford Bridge.
However, speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano said that there is no chance that the player will be moving away from Anfield this summer:
“Florian Wirtz is not leaving Liverpool this summer. The relationship between Xabi Alonso and Florian Wirtz is excellent, of course. They won together and had a fantastic time together at Bayer Leverkusen, but that’s it. There is nothing official, no talks.”
“Chelsea are not looking for that kind of player, and it’s important to mention that Florian Wirtz remains an important part of Liverpool’s squad. They believe that next season could be his season in red, so there’s absolutely no movements around Florian Wirtz. Forget about it.”
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Rogers is a more likely target
While Romano says that the Blues are not pursuing an attacking midfielder, there are credible links to Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers.
Co-Director of Recruitment and Talent Joe Shields knows the player well from his time at Manchester City, and a move for the England international can’t be ruled out.
Rogers would cost at least £80m, which is likely to be considerably below what Wirtz’s asking price is anyway. He can also be deployed wide on the left, which is a position that Alonso would like to strengthen.
Could Chelsea sign any other former Alonso players?
While the links to Wirtz may be baseless, some news outlets have suggested that there is interest in Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba.
Addressing the speculation a couple of weeks ago, the centre-back’s agent did not close the door on a move to London.
Read more about the Chelsea First Team Squad for 2025/26 here