Liverpool are ready to go up against Bayern Munich and Manchester City for Florian Wirtz if he decides to leave Bayer Leverkusen this summer
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Florian Wirtz of Bayer Leverkusen looks on
Florian Wirtz of Bayer Leverkusen(Image: Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Florian Wirtz sent Bayern Munich supporters into overdrive after his latest brand work with soft drinks giant Pepsi included the message 'on our road to Munich'. This comes amid the declaration of Liverpool's interest in the Bayer Leverkusen ace as they compete with the German champions for his signature.
The ECHO understands that Liverpool have reached out to the German international and his family to make their long-standing admiration known. This comes after claims Wirtz along with father Hans, who is also his agent, and mother Karin, were in England for meetings with the Reds and Manchester City on Tuesday.
Also at the top of the pile for the attacking midfielder would appear to be Bayern Munich, intent on damaging a Bundesliga rival by snatching their top talent. Wirtz, 22, is already a superstar in his homeland, so much so that he is tied to the Pepsi brand, who in turn are a sponsor of the Champions League.
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The final of said tournament is due to take place in Munich in a matter of weeks, with the stage set for Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan. Ahead of the match at the end of this month, the Leverkusen player took part in a promotional campaign with pictures of an event based in Cologne posted to Instagram by Pepsi Deutschland, complete with the caption: "On our road to Munich.
"Today with Florian Wirtz on a Butchen (translates in English to small shop or kiosk) tour. Swipe to get the vibe."
There have been over 300 comments left on the post in barely 14 hours, and you can guess the theme. "Come to Munich," a good portion of them beg, whilst some more presumptuous than others are saying: "Welcome to Munich."
For now, it seems Wirtz is doing his due diligence before deciding the next step of his career. Liverpool are prepared to act if the time to strike arrives, even if the likelihood at present is that the player remains in his homeland with Leverkusen or Bayern.
By his own admission, he sees the 'appeal' in seeking a new challenge, perhaps outside of Germany. "I’m pretty lucky that I have so many excellent clubs right on my doorstep and that I can now play for one of the best clubs in Germany and Europe," Wirtz explained.
"I have a lot of respect for the lads here in Leverkusen who come from South America or Africa, for example, and leave their families and surroundings behind for their careers. It definitely appeals to me to leave my comfort zone at some point and experience something new.
"I know football locker rooms well enough and I’m convinced that I would quickly settle in wherever I go. I keep seeing posts about me on social media.
"Every now and then, I have to laugh when people write about where I’m supposedly playing next season. Nobody but me can know that.
"That’s why I don’t pay any attention to such news and deal with them in a pretty chill way."
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