Manchester City expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany is "not optimistic" about the Citizens' chances of signing Florian Wirtz this summer, but Pep Guardiola's side will require a "serious signing" of his calibre to replace Kevin De Bruyne.
It was announced by De Bruyne earlier this month that the Belgian playmaker will be leaving Man City when his contract expires at the end of the season after 10 glittering years at the Etihad Stadium.
One name who has regularly been linked with a move to the Citizens is Bayer Leverkusen star Wirtz, who is widely regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders in world football and at the age of just 21 has already recorded 56 goals and 63 assists in 192 games for the Bundesliga club.
However, Leverkusen's managing director, Fernando Carro revealed last weekend that there is a "very high probability" that the Germany international will remain at the BayArena beyond the current campaign.
"[Wirtz] has a contract," Carro told Sky Germany when referring to his deal that runs until 2027, before adding that financially there is "no pain threshold".
The Spaniard continued: "It's also possible that a club will come that Flo doesn't want to go to."
While McInerney is of the opinion that "anyone's available for the right price", he has acknowledged that "something feels a bit off" with Man City's pursuit of Wirtz, who is also wanted by Germany giants Bayern Munich.
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Should Man City go all out to complete statement signing of Wirtz?
"I'm a little bit hesitant about how much Wirtz is interested in Manchester City," McInerney told Sports Mole. "But at the same time, I'm not stupid. I know agents talk and City won't go bidding a lot of money unless they've had the sort of thumbs-up from Wirtz's camp at the same time.
"There are rumours that Wirtz would fancy maybe Bayern Munich first, or staying in Germany for another season or two. It feels to me when you see all this coming out from Bayer Leverkusen - not that they're scared - but they're trying to get control of their superstar a little bit because they really want to tie him down with the contract. They're a little bit worried that he could go.
"It seems like it's very much up in the air. I think the fact that there's all these rumours flying about suggests to me that I don't think Wirtz knows yet (where his future lies). I don't think Leverkusen know if he'll sign a new contract yet."
McInerney has suggested that City must spend big and send out a statement to their rivals if they wish to replace a player of De Bruyne's stature, adding: "With De Bruyne leaving, there is going to be a massive creative hole in the centre of Manchester City's midfield, so I do feel City have to sign a player of the calibre of De Bruyne when he first arrived.
"Florian Wirtz [and De Bruyne] are very different footballers, both being creative geniuses, but I do think City should be going for someone of that calibre because ultimately, I'm a firm believer in statements of intent. I think it does make a difference.
"I think there's a fear factor of a signing of a superstar like Wirtz. I also think he's just a special footballer and you do have to pay a premium for special footballers.
"With Kevin De Bruyne. It's not like you're losing just a really good player. You're losing an all-time great one, the greatest ever to do it. The only way to replace him really is go out and try and buy someone who you think could be special too.
"I don't really think you can do the bargain-basement shopping with a Kevin De Bruyne replacement. I think it has to be a serious signing and Florian Wirtz fits that.
"But I am not optimistic about that signing. I don't know, something feels a bit off. You start to read the room a little bit as a fan and I've been here a billion times... this reminds me of Jude Bellingham where he was like: 'Well maybe if no-one else wants me I'd probably move there', but it felt like Bellingham wanted Liverpool first or Real Madrid first. I've got a feeling it's very similar here for Florian Wirtz."
Gibbs-White would be "a very expensive gamble" for Man City
Man City have also been credited with an interest in Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White in recent weeks, but McInerney does not believe that the £100m-rated midfielder can be considered as a direct De Bruyne replacement and feels that his potential arrival at the Etihad would be "a very expensive gamble".
"I don't think he's a De Bruyne replacement," said McInerney. "Morgan Gibbs-White seems more like an eight as opposed to a creative genius. He's had a cracking season with Forest, but I don't think it'll happen (join Man City).
"I think they're going to demand circa £100m because we're in that market now where - especially given the fact that they're Champions League challengers, they might get Champions League football - he's their captain, he's their superstar player. They don't need to sell him as such.
"We're in a post Declan Rice, [Moises] Caicedo, even Jack Grealish era where these fees have been spent and they'll [ask for] £100m.
"[If] City go in at £70m, they'll go 'no'. They want £100m and he's got two years left on his contract, which is not forever, but it's long enough to stand your ground and they'll still get £60-£70m for him the summer after if he's doing well, so I don't think they'll be scared of the two years left on his deal."
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'I don't think you give the keys of creativity to Gibbs-White at Man City'
"I think Morgan Gibbs-White is a really good player, but to me, he's the guy who plays alongside Rodri and behind Wirtz or someone like that," McInerney added.
"I think that's a more balanced midfield, the creative genius and the tempo of Rodri sitting back and controlling the game with the bustling, incredible power, but also good technical ability and an eye for goal and the running of Morgan Gibbs-White behind a Florian Wirtz. That sounds greedy, but I think that's more his best role.
"I don't think you give the keys of creativity to Morgan Gibbs-White at Man City, simply because we haven't seen if he's good enough at doing that. There are no examples. He plays for a side that is so set on the counter-attack.
"It's all about transition for [Forest], whereas Manchester City, if you're Kevin De Bruyne, or you're David Silva, or Phil Foden, or whoever, your job has been breaking down 11 men every single week, and that is truly hard to do and it's not something you can just do in an instant - ask Jack Grealish how hard it is.
"Morgan Gibbs-White does not play in that style, so there are unanswered questions there and I think if you're going to pay the amount of money that Forest would demand, then you have to have all the answers.
"To me, it'd be a very expensive gamble going for a guy who costs a lot of money, who we don't know could be a genius creator in a side that is heavily possession-based that everyone defends against, because we just don't know the answer to that.
"If it was half the price, £50m might be worth a punt, but it isn't going to be that".
Press play on the video at the top of this article to hear the full discussion.
Oliver Thomas
