Man City weigh up blockbuster move for Bundesliga ace but face stiff competition from Real Madrid
Bayer Leverkusen's head coach Xabi Alonso, right, talks to Florian Wirtz
Manchester City have shown an interest in a playmaker from the Bundesliga, but they will have to rival Real Madrid and Barcelona to land his signature.
Pep Guardiola’s side have enjoyed an excellent start to the new campaign as they have won all six of their opening Premier League matches.
As Kevin De Bruyne has been sidelined for most of the season so far, Man City are keeping their eyes open for another playmaker to join their ranks.
Of course, De Bruyne still ranks as one of the best players in the world, but he isn’t getting any younger. At 32 years old, it is only natural that Man City are starting to consider some long-term replacements for the Belgian genius.
Earlier in the summer, it was revealed that Man City were interested in Bundesliga duo Florian Wirtz and Dani Olmo and Guardiola’s side could be prepared to rekindle their interest in one of those stars.
According to reports in Spain, Wirtz has ‘caught the attention’ of Man City after an impressive start to the new campaign with Bayer Leverkusen.
The German playmaker is highly rated in the Bundesliga and he has done well since recovering from an ACL injury last year. At just 20 years old, he would be a younger alternative to someone like De Bruyne, although he won’t come cheap.
Wirtz is under contract with Bayer Leverkusen until 2027 and the report claims that it could take upwards of €100million to get him out of Germany.
Man City face competition
As the German youngster has impressed of late, it’s no surprise that Man City aren’t the only club who have registered an interest in the playmaker.
The same report also states that Real Madrid and Barcelona hold an interest in the player. However, the report adds that Barcelona could find it ‘difficult’ to complete a deal right now because of their financial situation.
In the summer Barcelona mostly relied upon free transfers to build up their squad. They even prized Ilkay Gundogan away from Man City on a free transfer.
As the Catalan club might find it difficult to land a deal for Wirtz right now, it seems as if Real Madrid will be the main competitor with Man City for his signature.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side arguably have the best midfield in world football right now with the likes of Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, Federico Valverde, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos available.
As the likes of Modric and Kroos aren’t getting any younger, a move for Wirtz would make sense if the experienced duo decide to depart in 2024.
The German playmaker often plays as a number 10, although he can also do a job as a striker. The 20-year-old already has five goal contributions this season and it’s easy to see why so many top sides are interested.
