Liverpool may have received a major boost in their pursuit of highly-rated midfielder Florian Wirtz.
Reports suggest the Reds have submitted a firm offer for the Bayer Leverkusen star, whose future has been the subject of growing speculation. Now, one of their biggest rivals for his signature appears to be out of the picture.
Man City Exit the Race for Wirtz
According to BBC Sport’s senior football correspondent Sami Mokbel, Manchester City have dropped their interest in signing the Germany international. The reason? The total cost of the transfer—including the fee and wages—could reach nearly €300m (£252.6m), a figure City reportedly believe is too steep, even for a player of Wirtz’s calibre.
City have previously backed out of deals when they felt the price wasn’t justified, doing the same in past chases for players like Harry Kane, Frenkie de Jong, Jorginho, Harry Maguire, and Kalidou Koulibaly.
Liverpool vs. Bayern for Wirtz?
With City out, Liverpool and Bayern Munich now look like the main contenders for the 22-year-old. While this development strengthens Liverpool’s position, they would still need to meet Leverkusen’s rumored asking price of €150m (£126.3m) and deal with a wage demand expected to exceed £120,000 per week.
Still, if Liverpool have indeed made a formal move, it signals that new sporting director Richard Hughes is serious about landing the talented playmaker.
Having already dethroned City in the Premier League this season, could Liverpool also beat them in the transfer market by landing one of Europe’s most in-demand players? If so, it would be a statement signing of real intent.