Manchester United and Arsenal are set to battle it out for Bayer Leverkusen wonderkid Florian Wirtz
According to Transfermarketweb, English giants Manchester United and Arsenal are set to go up against each other for Bayer Leverkusen wonderkid Florian Wirtz. The 18-year-old has enjoyed a sensational start to the Bundesliga this season, scoring twice and assisting three more in just three games so far.
A regular for Leverkusen, Wirtz has already made 50 appearances for them, scoring and assisting 11 apiece. An attacking midfielder, he is also capable of playing on either wing. Wirtz came through the academy at 1. FC Koln before moving to Leverkusen last year. It is fair to say that the Germans have landed themselves another talented youngster to replace Kai Havertz.
The Germans do not appear to be opposed to selling their budding superstar. However, it will not be cheap, and they will demand €40-50m, a significant amount for a teenager.
Manchester United already have the impressive Bruno Fernandes, who has locked down the No. 10 spot. With the likes of Mason Greenwood, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford all available, Wirtz could find regular game time difficult to come by at Old Trafford, at least off the bat.
The same cannot be said should he choose to move to Arsenal. The Gunners are currently reshaping their squad but have a few talented players at their disposal. Adding Wirtz to the lot will hand them another player to build on for the future.
For a team named Arsenal, the Gunners sure fire a lot of blanks. Bringing in a player such as Wirtz, who shows initiative and out-of-the-box thinking, could hand them a major boost in breaking down obstinate defences. Alongside Emile Smith Rowe, Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, the youngster could be a part of a solid spine that will serve the club for years to come.
The English duo isn’t the only team in the fray. Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich are also interested and could make a move. Bayern are especially keen to add more German blood to their roster and will aim to do so next summer. The youngster’s contract runs until 2026 at the Bay Arena. The lack of a release clause hands Leverkusen the advantage when it comes to negotiations.
The Bundesliga has its share of special young talents, and Wirtz could be just the latest name to be added to that list. If he keeps it up, the sky is the limit for the youngster. Whether he will stay put and develop his game further or seek a new challenge elsewhere remains to be seen.
