Arsenal and Liverpool are reportedly battling with European giants to sign Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz, as per Caught Offside.
The German side have enjoyed a successful time under Xabi Alonso in recent years, winning the Bundesliga, DFB Pokal, and German Super Cup. However, it looks like their squad could be dismantled this summer.
The Spanish boss has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid, while several key players are likely to be available during the off-season. Jonathan Tah has already made it clear that he will leave as a free agent, while Jeremie Frimpong has been a subject of attention for Premier League clubs.
Now, Caught Offside state that Wirtz could also leave, and Real Madrid want him along with Alonso. Los Blancos see the German as a potential replacement for Vinicius Jr, who could move to Saudi Arabia this summer.
Furthermore, Bayern Munich are also interested in him and have already been in talks with the player’s representatives to persuade him to join. They are even preparing to launch a formal proposal to persuade Leverkusen to cash-in on him.
Manchester City are also plotting a swoop for him to replace Kevin de Bruyne, who will leave as a free agent following a successful time over the last decade.
Battle
The report say that, along with the Euro giants, Arsenal and Liverpool are also keen on signing him to bolster the squad and could make a formal proposal ahead of next season.
Leverkusen don’t want to let him leave and are willing to extend his deal to 2028. However, if they are forced to cash-in this summer, they want at least £103m.
Wirtz is a versatile player as he is an attacking midfielder by trait, but can also be deployed out wide. He is technically sound, can dribble past opposition defenders in tight areas, and can play threading passes between the lines.
Dominik Szoboszlai is the first-choice CAM for Liverpool, and Curtis Jones is his deputy. Therefore, they are well-resourced in this area and don’t need to spend the reported huge sum to sign Wirtz.
On the other hand, Martin Odegaard is the undisputed starter in the No.10 role for Arsenal, and he is the club captain. Signing a new attacking midfielder to support him could be the right decision.
However, they don’t need to invest big to sign a high-profile option in this position, considering they will have to reinforce other areas of the squad as well.
