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Manchester City 'send scouts to watch Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz'

By Oliver Thomas, Senior Reporter | 07 November 2023

Man City 'send scouts to watch Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz'

Manchester City reportedly sent scouts to watch Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz score during a 3-2 Bundesliga win over Hoffenheim last weekend.

Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz has reportedly been scouted by representatives of Manchester City.

The 20-year-old has developed into one of the brightest prospects in Europe since establishing himself as an integral first-team player for Leverkusen over the last few seasons.

Wirtz has already made 118 appearances for the German club across all competitions since and including his professional debut in May 2020, scoring 29 goals and registering 39 assists.

The attacking midfielder was sidelined for around nine months in 2022 with a serious ACL injury, but he still managed to contribute with four goals and eight assists in 25 matches last season.

Wirtz has since made a bright start to the current campaign, contributing with six goals and nine assists in 15 appearances to help Leverkusen win 14 matches across all competitions at sit top of both the Bundesliga table and their Europa League group.

Germany midfielder Florian Wirtz passes the ball against the United States men's national team on October 14, 2023 © Reuters

The 12-cap Germany international's rise on the European stage is understood to have caught the eye of a number of top clubs, with treble winners Man City the latest name to be registered with an interest.

According to 90min, the Citizens sent scouts to watch Wirtz score during Leverkusen's 3-2 win away against Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga last Saturday.

The report adds that Man City officials were present at the BayArena to primarily monitor the performance of Wirtz, who has been admired by the Premier League champions for several years.

Leverkusen are under no immediate pressure to part ways with Wirtz as he is under contract at the German club until the summer of 2027.

Florian Wirtz celebrates scoring for Bayer Leverkusen in February 2022 © Reuters

However, the prospect of representing Man City under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola could tempt Wirtz to swap the Bundesliga for the Premier League.

Man City may regard Wirtz – who has also been linked with the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Barcelona – as a possible long-term replacement for star playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, who has recently been linked with a possible move to Saudi Arabia.

The 32-year-old, who has been sidelined for the last few months with a long-term hamstring injury, is under contract at the Etihad Stadium until 2025 and the Citizens will allegedly only entertain offers in excess of £50m for the Belgian.

Wirtz is not the only Bundesliga-based attacking midfielder believed to be on Man City's radar, as they have also been credited with an interest in Bayern Munich's Jamal Musiala, with one report claiming that the 20-year-old would consider a move to the Etihad.