Florian Wirtz Manchester City Pep Guardiola
(Credit: Imago/Hasan Karim, Breaking Media)
Pete O'Rourke, Transfer Correspondent
Fri 23 May 2025 8:58, UK
Manchester City have turned their attention away from Florian Wirtz with the midfielder likely to move elsewhere, sources have told Football Insider.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, senior correspondent Pete O’Rourke revealed what sources have told him about City’s pursuit of the Germany star.
Wirtz had emerged as Pep Guardiola’s top target to succeed Kevin De Bruyne at the Etihad Stadium next season, and even travelled to Manchester with his parents on 14 May for meetings with City’s officials.
Man City have “walked away” from their pursuit of Wirtz and said Bayer Leverkusen’s price tag of well over £100million is too expensive, but this is not quite the full story.
Instead, Football Insider sources have said that with Wirtz on the radar of Premier League champions Liverpool and Bayern Munich, City believe he has a move already agreed and in place and they are “looking at alternatives” in attacking midfield.
Florian Wirtz Man City
Wirtz had been Manchester City’s number one transfer target (Credit Hasan Karim – Breaking Media)
Wirtz transfer snub leaves Man City back to square one
Man City plan to give Guardiola over £300m to spend on new arrivals this summer and would have been able to meet Leverkusen’s price, but Wirtz’s intention to move elsewhere leaves them out of the running.
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Speaking on the new Inside Track, O’Rourke said that after City claimed a move for Wirtz was too expensive, the reality is that they’ve already shifted their attention to other options in the transfer market.
“Florian Wirtz was a top target for Manchester City. They have sort of walked away from that move now, they’ve come out and claimed it was too expensive”, he told Football Insider.
“I think it’s probably more of a case that they know he’s probably going elsewhere, [rather] than they thought; ‘we’re not going to be able to sign Wirtz’.
“So they will be looking at alternatives for that attacking midfielder, a playmaker who can come in and improve City’s fortunes next season.”
Man City are interested in signing Morgan Gibbs-White
Morgan Gibbs-White could be an alternative signing for Man City (Credit Hasan Karim/Breaking Media)
Man City explore several transfer targets after Wirtz setback
Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider on 6 May that City were “hell-bent” on beating Bayern Munich to Wirtz’s signature, but Liverpool’s entry into the race has seen them admit defeat.
City have no shortage of alternative options though, and see Morgan Gibbs-White as a Premier League-proven midfielder who will be more attainable if Nottingham Forest fail to reach the Champions League.
Furthermore, Barcelona’s financial difficulties could result in Dani Olmo being available at a cut-price fee this summer, and City could explore a move for the £50m-rated Spaniard as an ideal ‘Plan B’ to Wirtz.
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