Manchester City and Real Madrid are gearing up for a fierce £85 million transfer battle over Bayer Leverkusen’s midfield sensation, Florian Wirtz, in what could be one of the summer’s biggest moves.
The 21-year-old German international, often compared to Kevin De Bruyne, has been in electrifying form this season, registering 27 goal contributions for Xabi Alonso’s Bundesliga-leading side.
While Wirtz is reportedly keen on joining Real Madrid, Pep Guardiola views him as a potential long-term successor to De Bruyne, who turns 34 this summer and has faced persistent injury setbacks.
Despite City’s £175 million winter spending spree, the Premier League champions are already strategizing for the future. Although Phil Foden remains an internal option for the playmaker role, Wirtz’s technical brilliance and creativity make him an ideal fit for Guardiola’s system.
Leverkusen hopes to extend Wirtz’s contract, but his future could be influenced by Alonso’s next move, as the highly-rated coach is a strong contender to replace Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich, now managed by City legend Vincent Kompany, may also enter the race, with hopes of pairing Wirtz alongside Jamal Musiala at the Allianz Arena.
