According to Fabrizio Romano (via @ManagingBarca on Twitter), Bayer Leverkusen striker Florian Wirtz has emerged as a transfer target for La Liga giants Barcelona.
The Blaugrana raided Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich for Robert Lewandowski last summer. They spent 45 million euros to lure the Polish striker to Camp Nou.
It appear Barcelona is set to import another star from Germany’s top flight this year. According to the aforementioned source, they are among the clubs that are monitoring Leverkusen striker Wirtz.
Wirtz rose to prominence after making his senior debut for Leverkusen at the age of 17. He made his debut for the club in a 4-1 win over Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga in May 2020.
Since then, the attacker has established himself as a key player for Die Werkself. He made 86 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring 21 goals and assisting 26 times.
Wirtz is so good that Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso has drawn similarities between him and Lionel Messi. The Spanish strategist praised the teenager for his intelligence. He speak:
“There are good players, and there are players who look good on the pitch. Good-looking players do good things, but not necessarily effectively.”
“Why is Messi so good? Because he knows how and when to make simple passes. Messi said: ‘You’re in a better position? Here, you have the ball! It’s not always real. performing the best move, but the best and the smartest. Florian can do it. That’s why he’s so good.”
Now it remains to be seen whether Barcelona can afford Wirtz. The 19-year-old certainly won’t come cheap as he has a contract with Leverkusen until the summer of 2027.
Barcelona face competition from Real Madrid for Wirtz
The Blaugrana aren’t the only La Liga giants paying attention to Wirtz’s abilities. They will have to fend off competition from arch-rivals Real Madrid for his services.
According to Romano (via @MadridXtra on Twitter), Los Blancos are also monitoring the Germany international. The race for players seems to be heating up ahead of the summer transfer window.
There are likely to be more clubs in the race for Wirtz’s services if Leverkusen is willing to sell him. German giants Bayern are said to have an interest in him in October last year.
