Premier League trio Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City are reportedly all in contact with Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz over a big-money summer transfer.
The 21-year-old has been a standout performer for Leverkusen since making his debut in 2020, but speculation over his long-term future with the Bundesliga club has been rife for some time.
Recent reports claim that Man City manager Pep Guardiola has identified Wirtz as his 'dream replacement' for club legend Kevin De Bruyne this summer and the Citizens are 'ready for a face-off' with Real Madrid for his signature.
De Bruyne is out of contract in the summer and the soon-to-be 34-year-old is yet to agree fresh terms with the Citizens, with MLS and Saudi Pro League clubs believed to be interested in his services.
Liverpool and Arsenal have also been credited with an interest in Wirtz, while German giants Bayern Munich are another club keeping tabs on his situation.
© Imago
Premier League trio to battle European giants for Wirtz
According to TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey, Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City are all long-term admirers of Wirtz and have long been in contact with the player's camp.
Bailey adds that all three English clubs remain in contact with the Germany international and while it is understood that the €100m-rated midfielder is yet to rule out a future move to the Premier League, a deal at this stage is 'expected to be very tricky'.
Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are said to be pushing increasingly hard to land Wirtz this summer, with the latter keen to pair him with fellow German Jamal Musiala, who recently signed a new long-term contract with the Bundesliga giants.
It is claimed that Wirtz, who is under contract at the BayArena until June 2027, is expected to leave Leverkusen this summer should head coach Xabi Alonso depart the reigning Bundesliga champions.
![Germany's Florian Wirtz celebrates scoring their first goal on June 14, 2024 [IMAGO]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/24/florian-wirtz_1.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Germany's Florian Wirtz celebrates scoring their first goal on June 14, 2024 [IMAGO]")
© Imago
Why is Leverkusen star Wirtz in demand?
Widely regarded as one of the brightest young talents in Europe, Wirtz has developed into an integral first-team player at Leverkusen under the tutelage of Alonso.
The versatile attacking midfielder does not turn 22 until May this year, but he has already made a total of 187 appearances for Leverkusen across all competitions, scoring 56 goals and registering 62 assists.
Wirtz, a 29-cap Germany international, was named 2023-24 Bundesliga Player of the Season after recording 11 goals and 12 assists in 32 league matches to help Leverkusen with their first-ever German top-flight title and go the entire domestic campaign unbeaten.
The playmaker, who also won the DFB-Pokal and reached the Europa League final last season, has continued to impress this term, scoring 15 goals and providing 12 assists in 35 games across all tournaments, including nine goals and 10 assists in 22 Bundesliga outings.
Oliver Thomas
