Manchester City ready to spend in excess of €100m to sign player who already has verbal agreement with UCL giants: Reports

Manchester City are reportedly keen to splurge over €100 million to snap up highly touted midfield sensation Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, a Bayern Munich target.

Wirtz, 21, has made nearly 200 appearances across competitions for the reigning Bundesliga champions, contributing 56 goals and 63 assists. He bagged a rich haul of 18 goals and 20 assists in 49 games across competitions in their historic 2023-24 campaign.

Leverkusen became the first-ever unbeaten Bundesliga champions, with their loss to Atalanta in the UEFA Europa League final denying them a historic unbeaten season across competitions and a continental treble.

Fritz's numbers are down this season - 15 goals and 13 assists across 42 games across competitions - but they have still caught the attention of big clubs like Bayern Munich. The Bundesliga leaders - as per Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness) - have a verbal agreement with Fritz, with City and Real Madrid also entering the fray.

The German international is contracted to the Bay Arena till 2027 but might be on the move before that, considering the interest in his services. It's pertinent to note that City are looking for a long-term replacement for Kevin De Bruyne, who's leaving the Etihad at the end of the season after a decade-long stay.

What's next for Manchester City?

Manchester City are in the midst of an underwhelming season by their staggering standards. On the day they beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 to reach a third straight FA Cup final last weekend, Pep Guardiola's side lost their four-year Premier League stranglehold to Liverpool.

With four games to go, City trail the leaders by 21 points, lying fourth in the standings, behind Arsenal and Newcastle United. Guardiola's side are also out of Europe, losing to Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League knockout play-offs.

Following their FA Cup semi-final win over Nottingham, City next host Wolverhampton Wanderers in the league on Saturday (May 3). Their last three league games of the season are against Southampton (away), Bournemouth (home) and Fulham (away). They also have a FA Cup final against Crystal Palace on May 17.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 18 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

Know More

Edited by Bhargav