The battle to sign Bayer Leverkusen superstar Florian Wirtz is heating up, with Bayern Munich pushing to win the race for the long-term Manchester City target.
The 22-year-old attacking midfielder is undoubtedly one of Europe’s most exciting youngsters, having notched 16 goals and 15 assists across all competitions this term.
TEAMtalk sources have confirmed that Bayern have submitted a very strong contract offer to Wirtz which they feel reflects his stature on the footballing stage.
Man City are huge admirers of Wirtz, however, and we understand that their scouts have been closely watching his performances for over a year.
Adding further intrigue, Real Madrid are also monitoring Wirtz’s situation. Xabi Alonso is eager to take the youngster with him to the Bernabeu when he becomes Madrid boss next season.
As TEAMtalk first reported on October 29 last year, Man City view Wirtz as the perfect fit for Pep Guardiola’s system, and his stellar 2024/25 campaign has cemented his status as one of Europe’s brightest talents.
The Cityzens have made signing a new attacking midfielder to replace Kevin de Bruyne a top priority and Wirtz is the dream target, while they’re also keen on Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White and AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders.
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Bayern Munich pushing hard for Florian Wirtz
While Bayern are doing all they can to win the race for Wirtz, TEAMtalk understands that Man City do hold one ace card over Vincent Kompany’s side.
IF Leverkusen are forced to sell Wirtz this summer, they would prefer to sell him to Man City rather than a direct Bundesliga rival like Bayern.
We can confirm that Man City’s executives met with Wirtz’s entourage on Monday to try and sell him the move to the Etihad – another factor that gives them reason to be positive.
However, Bayern are not backing down. The Bavarian powerhouse, who focus their recruitment on youth and signing the best young players in Germany, have crafted an enticing package, emphasising Wirtz’s potential to become the cornerstone of their project while staying in Germany, a factor that could sway the young star.
Wirtz is also close friends with Bayern star Jamal Musiala and the prospect of them playing together at the Allianz Arena is undoubtedly an exciting one.
Real Madrid’s involvement complicates matters further. Alonso, who guided Wirtz during Leverkusen’s triumphant 2023/24 season, views him as the ideal addition to bolster Madrid’s midfield creativity, however they have not made solid moves like their European rivals.
Leverkusen will not entertain any offers below €100m (£84m) for Wirtz and his potential sale could set a new benchmark for German players.
The Leverkusen ace now faces a defining choice: join City’s star studded squad, become a new key cog in Bayern’s winning machine, or reunite with Alonso at the Bernabeu.
Leverkusen are desperate to retain their talisman and are pushing for a contract extension, but the temptation of Europe’s elite clubs could prove too strong for Wirtz, who sources say is ready to move.
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