Manchester City are out of the race for Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz.
Wirtz was Pep Guardiola’s top target for the summer transfer window as the 22-year-old was deemed the perfect replacement for the departing Kevin De Bruyne.
The Manchester club were one of the frontrunners for the German talent, however, Man City pulled out of the Wirtz race on Monday as Fabrizio Romano reports that the English giants felt the deal was too expensive, while they also wanted the Leverkusen star to make a decision quicker.
This has left Bayern Munich and Liverpool as the two contenders for his signature, and with City now looking at their alternatives, it is being reported that the Merseyside club have joined the race again for one of Guardiola’s targets.
Photo by Jan Kruger - The FA/The FA via Getty Images
Photo by Jan Kruger – The FA/The FA via Getty Images
Liverpool join the race for Man City target Eberechi Eze
Man City have been linked to Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze in recent weeks as the Englishman was said to be an alternative for Wirtz should City miss out on the German star.
Now that the Manchester club are out of the race for the Bayer Leverkusen star, Eze is a player they may move for, however, CaughtOffside are reporting that Liverpool have once again joined a race Man City are involved in.
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The report states that the Reds are one of several clubs exploring a potential move for the Crystal Palace star, who can be signed this summer for £70m, which is the figure attached to his release clause.
Tottenham and Nottingham Forest are also said to be interested in Eze, but Liverpool will be Man City’s biggest threat if they all make official moves for the 26-year-old.
Erling Haaland is a big fan of Eze, and the Norwegian would certainly benefit from the Palace star being deployed behind him.
It remains to be seen if City make an official move for the England international over the coming weeks, as they will currently be assessing their options after their recent Wirtz decision.
Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images
Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images
How Eberechi Eze compares to Florian Wirtz
There is no doubt that Wirtz is a more talented player than Eze, but the Englishman is not a bad alternative to the 22-year-old, as they are similar in ways and play in similar roles.
Both players are natural attacking midfielders, but they can also operate on the wings if need be, as they are brilliant dribblers, can pick out men in central positions, and have very strong shots from distance.
Player Games Goals Assists Minutes
Eberechi Eze 41 13 11 3232
Florian Wirtz 45 16 15 3392
Eberechi Eze and Florian Wirtz’s 24/25 stats
When it comes to numbers, there is not much separating the pair, but it must be taken into account that Wirtz plays in a stronger team in a league deemed weaker than the Premier League by many.
Pulling out of the race for Wirtz would have been a hard decision for Guardiola, given how much he liked the player, however, there are still some solid options out there for Man City, as it remains to be seen which one the legendary coach chooses.