Liverpool emerge as major threat to Manchester City’s hopes of signing number one transfer target | OneFootball

Manchester City are facing a significant threat from Liverpool in their hopes of signing Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen this summer, according to new reports.

The four-in-a-row Premier League champions were thrown to the very centre of reporting in both Germany and England across Tuesday, when it emerged that Wirtz himself – alongside his parents – had reportedly made a trip to the City Football Academy for a tour of the facilities.

That trip from Germany is also said to have featured a meeting with senior Manchester City officials, as they look to snatch a player away from the grasps of Bayern Munich – who were previously believed to have reached an agreement with the player over a future move.

There is yet to be any significant developments around Real Madrid at present, although the Santiago Bernabeu club could hold an obvious advantage of reuniting Wirtz with his current boss Xabi Alonso, when the Spaniard makes the move to the La Liga giants.

And while many believed it would just be the three clubs at the centre of trying to persuade Wirtz and his family into a move this summer, a new blockbuster name has entered the frame for the attacking midfielder in the last few hours.

That is according to the information of The Athletic’s David Ornstein among others, who reports that Liverpool have now made contact with the representatives of Florian Wirtz to express an interest in him, should he leave Bayer Leverkusen and be keen on England.

It is explained that admiration from the Anfield club is long-standing, although it is unclear whether the Germany international intends to depart his current team or his home country at present.

However, should this emerge as a genuine possibility, the newly-crowned Premier League champions are said to be ‘ready to explore a deal’, with expected competition from Manchester City and Bayern Munich.

Officials at Manchester City are unlikely to be put off by the prospect of a war over the player’s signature, particularly given the German’s internal status as being the number one candidate to replace the outgoing Kevin De Bruyne.

And should City manage to finalise a move for the 22-year-old, their midfield recruitment plans are unlikely to end there, with contact having been made with AC Milan over Dutch international Tijjani Reijnders.

Recent reports have indicated however that Etihad bosses are mindful of Milan’s competitive goals in Italian football this season, and will not intrude on their focus, aiming to resume conversations later down the line with basic interest expressed to the San Siro club.