Florian Wirtz during a Germany training session.
Florian Wirtz during a Germany training session.
In the end Manchester City couldn't be doing with the fee and the faff.
Florian Wirtz is one of the most sought-after players in world football right now and City could have been front and centre in the battle to sign the Germany international had they followed through initial interest.
But they rowed back and that decision allowed Liverpool to make a move and the Germany international is now closing in on an Anfield switch.
And while a deal is expected to be completed there remains work to do with Liverpool and Leverkusen locked in talks over a fee. Arne Slot's side had a club-record £109million offer rejected last week with the Bundesliga side seeking a fee closer to £125million.
Liverpool want to avoid a drawn-out process but that seems somewhat inevitable as Leverkusen seek to eek out every pound they can for their star player. The German outfit have already lost Jeremie Frimpong to Liverpool after they met his £29million release fee.
And with Leverkusen keen on a fee that would be a British record and parachute Wirtz into the top five of the most expensive footballers of all time, money and patience will be required to secure his services.
City could have stayed in the hunt for Wirtz but felt the pricetag was too steep while becoming embroiled in a battle with Liverpool and perhaps Bayern Munich would have been counter-productive. City have a longstanding history of walking away from top transfer targets if they do not feel like the proposed deals represent value for money
So the Blues cooled their interest and instead will switch their attentions to alternative targets as they seek to complete the bulk of their business before the Club World Cup starts.
That leaves them with seven days to pursue targets, with Rayan Ait-Nouri and Tijjani Reijnders expected to be the first two arrivals with City closing in on deals with Wolves and AC Milan respectively.
City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubak wants new faces in quickly, decisively and without spending over the odds. As Liverpool continue talks with Leverkusen over a move for Wirtz, the Blues can step up moves elsewhere.
---
Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester City coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
*And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Talking City podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.*