Manchester City have rekindled their interest in Bayer Leverkusen wonderkid Florian Wirtz and are planning an offer for him in the summer.
Widely regarded as one of European football’s brightest prospects, Florian Wirtz, 19, enjoyed a stellar campaign with Bayer Leverkusen last year when he bagged 10 goals and 14 assists to help his side finish third in the Bundesliga and reach the Europa League round of 16. However, the teenager’s season was unfortunately finished early by an ACL injury in March last year that kept him out for nine months and cost him a place in Germany’s 2022 World Cup squad.
The attacking midfielder returned to first-team action for Bayer Leverkusen in January and has since registered four assists in his nine league appearances. Wirtz is now back in the national team fold and is expected to get minutes in Germany’s friendly fixture against Belgium on Tuesday evening after starting against Peru last weekend.
The exciting 19-year-old, who has a contract at the Bay Arena until June 2027, is attracting a significant amount of interest from European clubs. Manchester City reportedly are admirers of Wirtz and are again taking an interest in him since his return from a long injury lay-off.
Man City planning for life without Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola will need to dip into the transfer market for midfield reinforcements if Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva leave the club this summer. Gundogan is into the final three months of his contract and has shown no signs of signing a new deal, while Silva has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona for the past two years.
As a result, Guardiola must plan for life without two of his trusted midfield stars, and Wirtz is a player he could target as a replacement.
Florian Wirtz is a player with big future ahead of him
Florian Wirtz has made a telling impact for Leverkusen since returning from a serious knee injury that kept him sidelined for nine months. And the playmaker’s comeback to full fitness has revived the race to sign him, with the likes of Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal, Tottenham and Newcastle United rumoured to have scouted him.
Wirtz will fit in well at Man City, even if Guardiola doesn’t use a No.10 which is the 19-year-old’s natural position. He possesses the ability to play deeper, perhaps as a more offensive-minded midfielder in City’s midfield three. The German’s dribbling and ball-carrying skills are very good, and he could an ideal replacement for Gundogan.
If City come calling for his signature, it is difficult to see Wirtz reject the approaches.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
