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The transfer saga around Florian Wirtz has just taken a Liverpool turn.
The German international is coveted by the elite clubs around Europe, most notably Bayern Munich and Manchester City.
On Tuesday, news broke that Wirtz and his parents – who also serve as his advisors – made a private jet trip to England on Tuesday.
While reports pointed toward only Manchester City as the destination, fresh reports from Kicker.De emerged that Liverpool was also on the itinerary, suggesting serious interest from the recently crowned Premier League champions.
Bayer Leverkusen have maintained a firm stance regarding their prized asset, whose contract runs until 2027 without a release clause.
The club has reportedly set an asking price in the region of €150 million (£126 million) for Bayern Munich, while potentially accepting a slightly reduced figure of around €100 million (£84 million) from clubs outside Germany.
It is believed that Leverkusen would much prefer to sell aboard than allow Wirtz to go to a domestic rival in Bayern Munich.
Now BILD has confirmed the Kicker report, with chief reporter Christian Falk providing his latest.
Surprisingly, the German reporter now claims that while there has been speculation about Wirtz meeting with Manchester City officials during his recent trip to England, it’s not fully confirmed whether those talks actually took place.
The report claims City’s approach has been proactive: they have formally contacted Leverkusen, seeking permission to engage directly with the Wirtz family and expressing willingness to meet Bayer’s hefty demands. The club sees Wirtz as a long-term successor to Kevin De Bruyne, and Pep Guardiola has reportedly spoken with Wirtz to outline his vision for the player at City.
City’s willingness to pay more than Bayern and Leverkusen’s desire to sell aboard has made it a buyer’s market for foreign clubs – something that Liverpool can take advantage of.
Despite City’s strong position, Wirtz is said to be keeping his options open.
Bayern Munich, meanwhile, remain confident that Wirtz will ultimately choose them, believing they have received clear signals from the player’s camp.
Bayern have even agreed on personal terms with Wirtz, but Leverkusen’s reluctance to strengthen a domestic rival complicates matters
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