Pundit lauds Man Utd and Arsenal target; makes Chelsea star comparison

Florian Wirtz Germany

Germany legend Lothar Matthaus has compared Man Utd and Arsenal target Florian Wirtz to a current Chelsea star.

The teenager is making a name for himself with Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. He has already notched four goals and five assists this campaign.

It’s no surprise that pretty much all of Europe’s biggest clubs are sitting up and taking notice.

Wirtz, who mainly operates as an attacking midfielder, appears destined to reach the very top of the game. The German national team have already capped him on four occasions.

He is valued at £58.5million by Transfermarkt, although Leverkusen will undoubtedly want more than that fee for his services.

Man Utd and Arsenal have both sent scouts to watch Wirtz on numerous occasions. They are interested in landing him during the summer of 2022.

They are not alone in the transfer race as Bayern Munich, Man City and Liverpool are all monitoring the situation.

We thought Wirtz’s stock couldn’t rise any more. But the attacker has now been compared to a current Chelsea star by Matthaus.

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The World Cup winner told the Bundesliga’s official website: “He’s a talented player. He will be the second Kai Havertz. He will go the same way as Havertz.

“In a few years, we will see him play for the German national team and we’ll see him play for a big, big team in Europe.”

Havertz left Leverkusen in September last year for a reported £71m. He struggled at times in his debut season but went on to score the winning goal in the Champions League final.

Wirtz plays a similar role to Havertz, as he likes to operate behind a striker and arrive late in the box.

Don’t be surprised if the 18-year-old is snapped up by one of England’s biggest clubs in the next few years.


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Ince slams Man Utd for Pogba contract offer

Former Man Utd midfielder Paul Ince has criticised the club for offering Paul Pogba a new contract.

The Frenchman is attracting interest from Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.

The Red Devils have attempted to ward off the European giants with a new, £400,000-a-week deal.

But Ince believes the wages on offer are inflated. He told The United Stand: “That’s a sign of desperation from Manchester United in offering that contract.

“Obviously, they’re trying to persuade him to sign this deal. It’s a lot of money for someone who has been in and out of the side.

“He was on the bench two weeks ago against Everton and then all of a sudden you’re saying: ‘Here’s £400k-a-week!’

“Ultimately, if you’re paying that type of money for a player, he has to play every game and we’re not seeing Paul Pogba play every game.”

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