admin Manchester City have renewed optimism over a potential summer move for Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz.
Pep Guardiola added two players to his midfield in last summer’s transfer window, as Mateo Kovacic and Mateus Nunes moved to the Etihad Stadium from Chelsea and Wolves respectively.
The pair, who already have extensive Premier League experience, have been included in Manchester City’s manager’s starting XI several times since moving to the north-west of England.
The treble-winning team suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time since 2018, and are now just points behind Premier League leaders Tottenham after losing to Wolves and Arsenal before the October international break. The difference is 2 points.
Manchester City returned to the Premier League on Saturday and the new season has only just begun, but the Sky Blues have already put him on their short list of potential signings for the 2024 summer transfer window.
Guardiola faces the possibility of Bernardo Silva leaving the club next summer, while Kevin De Bruyne remains out for an extended period due to a recurrence of his thigh problem, which could raise questions. As such, Manchester City are likely to be among the clubs considering a move for Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz, who could leave the current Bundesliga leaders at the end of the season, reports Sport. Reporting.
The 20-year-old has been directly involved in seven goals in 10 appearances so far this season and has attracted interest from three Premier League teams, including Manchester City. Sport Witness reports that Manchester United and Newcastle United are also said to be interested in the attacking midfielder.
Barcelona were interested in the German international but are likely to miss out on the midfielder as Bayer Leverkusen want to demand a transfer fee of 85 million euros for the 20-year-old.
Manchester City could therefore be left competing with two of their Premier League rivals to sign Weurts next summer if the club’s interest in the midfielder materializes.
The English trio are said to be “very attentive” to Wirtz’s situation, even if FC Bayern Munich could cause problems, reports German newspaper Bild.
The Sky Blues tried to sign West Ham star Lucas Paqueta in the summer, but shocking revelations involving suspicious gambling activities have ended his chances of him leaving the London Stadium.
Manchester City have identified transfer targets at an early stage, with Croatians Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic expected to surface in early 2023.
