Pep Guardiola urges Manchester City to sign €150 million-rated Real Madrid target - Reports

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola wants his side to sign Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz, a Real Madrid target. Wirtz made his senior first-team debut for the reigning Bundesliga champions in the 2019-20 season.

In 189 appearances across competitions, Wirtz, 21, has contributed 56 goals and 63 assists. That includes 15 goals and 13 assists in 37 outings across competitions this campaign. He contributed 18 goals and 20 assists in Leverkusen's historic 2023-24 season as Xabi Alonso's side became the first unbeaten Bundesliga champions and lost just one match all campaign.

Wirtz is contracted to the BayArena in 2027 and is expectedly highly valued by his club. However, that hasn't deterred City from eyeing the German prodigy, with El Nacional claiming that Guardiola has asked the reigning English champions to splurge up to €150 million to land the generational talent.

City are enduring one of their worst seasons in recent memory, with the FA Cup being their only realistic hope of ending the campaign with silverware. With Kevin De Bruyne showing signs of decline and potentially departing this summer, City would have an able successor if they bring in Wirtz, but the German isn't going to come cheap.

Moreover, City will have competition from Los Blancos, Barcelona and Manchester United in the chase for Wirtz (as per Fichajes.net via Hard Tackle).

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What's next for Real Madrid and Manchester City?

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola

Real Madrid and Manchester City have had contrasting campaigns, especially the Cityzens - as mentioned above - realistically out of the Premier League title race and bowing out of the UEFA Champions League.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid are stuttering in La Liga, where they are coming off a 2-1 defeat at Real Betis on Saturday. After Brahim Diaz's 10th-minute opener, Carlo Ancelotti's side conceded either side of the break to return empty-handed from their trip to Benito Villamarin in Seville.

However, there's little time to reflect on the setback - which has seen them drop to third in the standings, two points behind leaders Atletico Madrid. That's because they host their cross-town rivals on Tuesday (March 4) in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 next.

Meanwhile, City saw off Championship side Plymouth Argyle 3-1 at home in the FA Cup fifth round at the weekend, recovering from a deficit. They next travel to Nottingham Forest in the league on Saturday (March 8).