Manchester City have seemingly lost ground in the race for Florian Wirtz – as Real Madrid have reportedly moved into pole position to complete a £127m transfer in the summer of 2025.
As one of the youthful stand-out stars of Bayer Leverkusen’s invincible Bundesliga title-winning campaign and now baying for Euro 2024 success on home soil, German talent Wirtz has been said to attract suitors from across the continent. City have been floated as one potential destination from numerous sources, although the latest update is not good news for the Blues.
The first accord is between the player, his representatives and his current club, Leverkusen. This is to ensure he remains with the German champions until the end of the upcoming 2024/25 campaign.
The second is also a verbal one with Real Madrid, agreeing personal terms in order to complete the move to Spain in 2025. They claim that money will be no object for Los Blancos chief Florentino Perez, as the deal could reach as high as €150m (£127m).
For now, Wirtz is focusing on his first international tournament in his homeland. Germany open the tournament against Scotland before completing Group A with matches against Hungary and Switzerland.
The playmaker has been tipped as a potential successor for Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian has a year left on his deal and is now 32, having been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia.
Having recovered from an ACL injury before the start of the campaign, Wirtz has enjoyed a breakout campaign with goals and assists both reaching double figures. According to reports, Wirtz has no interest in leaving the Bundesliga club until at least 2025 which is perfect timing for City to make their move – unless Madrid get there first.
