Man City begin talks to sign Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz in record Premier League deal

The Citizens are set to offer Bayer Leverkusen a potential transfer deal of £126 million, making him the most expensive Premier League signing.

Pep Guardiola considers Wirtz his top priority for rebuilding Manchester City's squad as he seeks a replacement for Kevin De Bruyne, 33, who is departing at the end of his contract in June.

Manchester City's offer would surpass the current British transfer record of £115 million, set by Chelsea for midfielder Moises Caicedo from Brighton in 2023.

According to the Sun, the Bayer Leverkusen star has travelled from Maastricht, Holland, to Blackpool as Manchester City aims to secure his signing.

According to the German newspaper Bild, Florian Wirtz and his parents travelled from Maastricht-Aachen Airport in the Netherlands to Blackpool via private jet at 10 am on Tuesday.

The highly sought-after young talent in European football visited Manchester City with his agent (his father) to discuss a possible transfer to the club before departing last night.

To avoid attracting attention, Guardiola met with the players in Manchester after they were flown to a small airport behind the German-Dutch border before their 4:40 pm flight back.

Bayern Munich are also in the race to sign the German star and are reportedly making an £84 million offer.

Despite prior conversations with Guardiola, Wirtz has not yet decided on his future. The attacker has two years remaining on his current contract with Leverkusen.

The midfielder has contributed 16 goals and 15 assists in 44 appearances this season for Bayer Leverkusen.