Guardiola plots move for Leverkusen star as De Bruyne nears Messi link-up

Guardiola plots move for Leverkusen star as De Bruyne nears Messi link-up

Ifeanyi Ufomadu 09:59 - 13.02.2025

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has reportedly identified the perfect replacement for Kevin De Bruyne.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is reportedly pushing to sign Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz, amid interest from Arsenal and Real Madrid.

According to Bild, Guardiola views the 21-year-old as his "dream player" and a long-term replacement for Kevin De Bruyne, whose contract expires this summer.

Florian Wirtz ran the show against Salzburg.
Boy wonder! Florian Wirtz netted two goals for Bayer Leverkusen.

De Bruyne has been strongly linked with a move to the MLS, to rival the legendary Lionel Messi, and City are keen on sorting out a worthy replacement.

The report further states that Arsenal asre also "fully committed" to signing Wirtz at the end of the season, while Real Madrid remain strong admirers.

However, City appears to have the strongest need for the playmaker, who has recorded 15 goals and 12 assists in all competitions this season.

With his contract set to expire in 2027, Wirtz's future is likely to be a major talking point in the coming months, and a move to City could see him form a deadly partnership with Erling Haaland as he has done with Nigerian forward Victor Boniface.

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