Manchester City have supposedly added Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Florian Wirtz to their list of potential successors to Riyad Mahrez.
Algeria international Mahrez ended his glittering five-year stint at the Etihad earlier this summer, joining Saudi Arabian giants Al-Ahli in a £30m deal.
Mahrez's departure leaves Man City noticeably short of right-sided attacking options, with Bernardo Silva the only player possessing adequate experience in such a position.
As a result, Pep Guardiola would apparently welcome the arrival of a new wide attacker to the Etihad Stadium before the current window slams shut, and Crystal Palace's Michael Olise has been strongly linked with a switch.
City are apparently intensifying their pursuit of the France Under-21 international after learning of a £35m release clause in his Eagles contract, but Chelsea are also vying for his signature.
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Should the Premier League champions fail to prise Olise away from Selhurst Park, Football Transfers suggests that they could turn their attention to Leverkusen protege Wirtz instead.
The 20-year-old broke into the Black and Reds' first team as a teenager, and despite struggling with injuries during the embryonic stages of his career, he had made quite the impression at senior level.
Wirtz has already amassed 23 goals and 30 assists in 103 matches for Xabi Alonso's side, and he was named in the 2021-22 Bundesliga Team of the Season, despite missing the final two months of the campaign with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.
Wirtz was subsequently restricted to just 25 games last term - registering another four goals and eight assists - but he was named the Europa League Young Player of the Season as Leverkusen reached the semi-finals.
The eight-cap Germany international - who can play on both wings or as a number 10 - is thought to be open to a move to Man City, whose head coach Guardiola is a keen admirer of his qualities.
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However, Leverkusen have Wirtz under contract until 2027 - having agreed a renewal with their academy starlet last year - meaning that they are well-placed to demand an extortionate fee for a sale.
The Black and Reds have already lost Moussa Diaby to Aston Villa this summer, and it was previously claimed that they could demand as much as £88m for Wirtz, who has also been linked with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Liverpool and Newcastle United.
Man City have only made one summer acquisition so far, bringing in Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea, but the Citizens will soon unveil his countryman Josko Gvardiol.
Guardiola confirmed on Friday that the RB Leipzig defender is on the verge of completing his move to Man City, who will pay €90m (£77.9m) to bring him to the Premier League.
The treble winners will take on Arsenal in Sunday's Community Shield before commencing the defence of their Premier League title against Vincent Kompany's Burnley on August 11.
Ben Knapton
