Bayer Leverkusen will demand €150m (£129m) for Manchester City target Florian Wirtz, according to CaughtOffside.com.
The Bundesliga champions are said to be extremely reluctant to offload their playmaker but the Cityzens may press ahead with an offer if they lose Kevin De Bruyne this summer.
Saudi Pro League clubs Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad are monitoring De Bruyne’s contract situation, along with a number of European clubs.
The Belgian international is closing in on the final year of his current deal, and there is a possibility that he could be sold if he doesn’t put pen to paper on an extension in the coming weeks and months.
Is Wirtz a like-for-like replacement for De Bruyne?
The German does tend to play slightly further forward than the Manchester City midfielder. He has played almost all of his games as a no.10 this season, with a few appearances on the wing.
Even so, Wirtz’s numbers look extremely impressive, having scored 18 goals and provided 19 assists in 46 appearances for Leverkusen. It remains to be seen, though, whether City are prepared to shatter their transfer record (which currently stands at £100m) for the 21-year-old.
City will face competition from other clubs
CaughtOffside.com report that Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are also keeping close tabs on Wirtz. Other reports in the English media have credited Chelsea and Liverpool with an interest in the player as well.
However, the attacking midfielder’s valuation is likely to put off most, if not all, teams. City do have resources to push the boat out for him if they so wish, with the club having been smart with their transfer business in recent years to stay within Financial Fair Play rules, but an attempt may only be made if they are forced into doing so by De Bruyne leaving the Etihad Stadium.
