Man City target Florian Wirtz to replace De Bruyne | OneFootball

Manchester City have stepped up their pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz, with reports suggesting the Premier League champions are looking to hijack a potential move to Bayern Munich.

City are preparing for life after Kevin De Bruyne, whose contract is set to expire this summer, and the club are now actively searching for a long-term successor.

Florian Wirtz has emerged as Pep Guardiola’s top target. A creative and technically gifted midfielder, Wirtz offers a similar profile to De Bruyne - combining goal threat with the ability to unlock defences.

The 22-year-old has just come off two sensational seasons with Bayer Leverkusen, playing a central role in their historic Bundesliga title win in 2023/24 - the first in the club’s history.

Last season, the Germany international featured in 49 matches, netting 18 goals and supplying 19 assists as part of Leverkusen’s remarkable unbeaten run in domestic competitions.

This season, he’s continued to impress with 16 goals and 14 assists in 44 appearances, maintaining a high level of output and underlining his consistency in the final third.

Reports from Germany claim that Bayern Munich were in pole position to land the midfielder, but City may have moved ahead after a secret meeting allegedly took place between Pep Guardiola and the Wirtz family earlier this week in Manchester.

Leverkusen, meanwhile, are said to prefer selling the player abroad rather than to a Bundesliga rival, which could play in City’s favour.