Man City ruled out of race for €100m De Bruyne replacement; Guardiola switches attention to Bundesliga ace
Manchester City linked Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz
RB Leipzig attacker Dani Olmo has publicly ruled out a move to Manchester City this summer despite admitting they are a ‘big club.’
It’s thought Pep Guardiola saw the Spain international as a replacement for Kevin de Bruyne, who will be unavailable for the next four months due to an injury.
As noted by TEAMtalk, Man City made an enquiry about signing Olmo. Leipzig responded by slapping a €100m (approx. £85.5m) on his head.
Olmo made 31 appearances in all competitions for Leipzig last season, scoring five goals and making 11 assists. The 25-year-old has plenty of experience in the Champions League and has won three major trophies in Germany.
With that in mind, it’s no surprise to see Guardiola keen on signing the Spaniard. Olmo has now shut down those rumours in an interview with German outlet BILD, as noted by Fabrizio Romano.
“There is nothing! I’m fully focused on the task in Leipzig, the Bundesliga, the UCL and the cup,” Olmo said.
“Man City are a big club — one of the biggest in the world. Josko Gvardiol went there. But I’m happy here…”
READ MORE: Man City prepare to trigger release clause for Cancelo replacement after adding extra incentive
Man City eye Wirtz as Olmo alternative
According to a separate report from Relevo, Manchester City have enquired about the availability of Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz.
The 20-year-old is considered to be one of the best young talents in the Bundesliga. He made 25 appearances across all competitions last season, scoring four goals and making eight assists.
Wirtz also scored in Leverkusen’s 3-2 victory against RB Leipzig on Saturday, which seems to have only increased the interest in his signature.
Man City were first linked with the Germany international back in August, while Liverpool also have a long-standing interest in him.
Relevo’s report notes that Wirtz is a big admirer of Guardiola, however, it will be ‘difficult’ for Man City to sign Wirtz this summer. That is because Leverkusen are determined to keep him until at least 2024.
Wirtz wouldn’t be a cheap addition regardless. Previous reports suggest the German club value him at around £85m.
With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if Man City test Leverkusen’s resolve by making a bid for the youngster.
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