In the race to capture the 18-year-old German prodigy, Real Madrid will reportedly face heavy competition from Bayern Munich.
Real Madrid will not be the only high-profile team seeking Bayern Leverkusen star in the summer transfer window, according to a report by Spanish source Fichajes. Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga champions, are keeping a careful eye on the German prodigy’s progress, with Bayer Leverkusen expected to seek roughly €100 million for him.
Florian Wirtz joined Leverkusen from 1.FC Koln in January 2020 and began his career with the Bundesliga club’s under-19 team. However, after demonstrating impressive growth in the youth system, Die Werkself promoted the juvenile prodigy to the first-team squad in less than six months, with the kid eventually taking over for Kai Havertz.
Wirtz had an outstanding season in 2021/22, scoring eight goals and providing 12 assists in 24 games across all competitions. However, with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich hard on his tail, the 18-year-meteoric old’s rise may not bode well for Bayer Leverkusen.
Real Madrid’s desire derives from Luka Modric and Toni Kroos’ growing years. While Wirtz has mostly played in the no. 10 position for Bayer Leverkusen, his versatility in attack and midfield, as well as his youth, could enable Carlo Ancelotti mould the German prodigy into a Modric replacement.
To that aim, the Merengues are planning a summer move for Wirtz, hoping to capitalise on their positive connection with Bayer Leverkusen. In the race to capture the 18-year-old wonderkid, Real Madrid will face heavy competition from Bayern Munich.
The Bundesliga champions could face off against Real Madrid in the summer transfer window for a number of players, including Erling Haaland, who is a mutual goal. In terms of Wirtz, Bayern Munich might replace Corentin Tolisso in their midfield unit with the German prodigy, however the German prodigy will effectively be Thomas Muller’s long-term successor.
However, signing Wirtz will be prohibitively expensive, with Bayer Leverkusen putting a €100 million price tag on him. With Real Madrid and Bayern Munich both interested in signing Erling Haaland, paying €100 million for Wirtz could be a tall order. It’s unclear whether either club will be able to afford to sign the 18-year-old Leverkusen winger.