Manchester City have opened formal negotiations with Bayer Leverkusen over the potential signing of German prodigy Florian Wirtz according to sources close to sporting director Txiki Begiristain. City view the twenty two year old as the ideal long term successor to Kevin De Bruyne whose injury record has begun to limit his minutes. Leverkusen have set an initial valuation of one hundred and five million euros citing the creative midfielder’s fourteen Bundesliga assists and eleven goals this season under Xabi Alonso. City scouts have tracked Wirtz since his youth team debut and were present for Leverkusen’s Europa League semi final victory over Roma where he orchestrated possession with a ninety two percent pass accuracy.
Negotiations centre on a structured package of eighty million upfront plus performance related bonuses tied to Premier League titles and Champions League progression. Personal terms are expected to be straightforward with Wirtz keen on working under Pep Guardiola and commanding wages of around two hundred and fifty thousand pounds per week. Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes is pushing to keep the player for the Club World Cup campaign but the German side recognise that Premier League riches may be irresistible. City insiders insist any move must align with profitability and sustainability rules but point to the imminent sale of academy graduates Callum Doyle and Liam Delap as balancing mechanisms.
Should the deal materialise analysts predict Guardiola will deploy Wirtz as an advanced eight linking transitions with his trademark half space receptions and eye for vertical passes that unlock deep blocks.
