Manchester City are reportedly set to go head-to-head with Real Madrid for the signing of Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz this summer.
The 21-year-old attacking midfielder is widely regarded as one of the brightest young talents in Europe and has developed into an integral first-team player at Leverkusen under head coach Xabi Alonso.
Wirtz is a 29-cap Germany international and has already notched up 56 goals and 62 assists in 187 senior appearances for Leverkusen across all competitions.
He 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, lift the DFB-Pokal and go the entire domestic campaign unbeaten.
Wirtz has continued to impress this season, scoring 15 goals and providing 12 assists in 35 matches across all tournaments, including nine goals and 10 assists in 22 Bundesliga outings, and he has subsequently been linked with a host of Europe's top clubs.
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Man City, Real Madrid to battle for Wirtz this summer?
Recent reports claim that Man City manager Pep Guardiola views Wirtz as his 'dream replacement' for club legend Kevin De Bruyne this summer.
De Bruyne turns 34 on June 28, just two days before his current contract at Man City is due to expire, and there are no suggestions at this stage that the Belgian playmaker is close to committing his future to the Etihad.
Man City began their squad rebuild in January and spent in the region of £180m on four new players - Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis.
Guardiola's side are set to splash the cash once again in the summer, with Wirtz said to be high on their list of targets, but according to The Sun, they face competition from Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid.
Both clubs are said to be big admirers of Wirtz, but as things stand, the £85m-rated midfielder is believed to be keen on a switch to Real Madrid when he does decide to leave Leverkusen.
Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich have also been credited with an interest in Wirtz, but whether thy pursue the German remains to be seen having now tied down Jamal Musiala to a new long-term contract.
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What does the future hold for Leverkusen star Wirtz?
Wirtz has just over two years remaining on his Leverkusen contract and head coach Alonso has insisted that his star midfielder is keen to remain at the club, telling reporters: "He's enjoying it. He wants to stay here and he wants to play here."
Leverkusen's director of sport Simon Rolfes added: "His future is relatively simple in terms of his contract - we have him under contract until 2027 - and of course we want Florian to stay as long as possible. That hasn't changed."
Wirtz himself is relaxed about his future amidst speculation, telling reporters: "You'll read something at some point, and then you'll know.
"I'm extremely grateful to have been given a chance in the first team. I felt a great deal of trust and I had very good teammates and good coaches right from the start. I was given the room to develop here in peace."
Wirtz remains focused on representing Leverkusen this season and is now preparing for their next match away against Holstein Kiel in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Oliver Thomas
