From Germany: Manchester City handed advantage in race to sign Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz | OneFootball

Manchester City have been handed a crucial advantage in the chase to sign Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz, according to new reports from Germany.

The Premier League champions are expected to be eyeing a significant refresh of their leading first-team options heading into the new campaign with incoming sporting director Hugo Viana charged with that task.

Among the aims of the club, as reported in various quarters, is clarification around the future of Kevin De Bruyne – who is firmly into the final few weeks and months of his existing Manchester City contract.

There is a belief that De Bruyne could be open to extending his stay at the Etihad Stadium into a 10th season, however Manchester City would likely want to see that on significantly reduced contractual terms and a lesser role within Pep Guardiola’s plans.

Etihad officials are aware that the club need to start looking for an able replacement for one of the team’s most important figures over the course of the last decade, and that has led them in the direction of the Bundesliga once more.

The latest line of reporting from Germany indicates that Manchester City may have a clear run at the signing of Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz this summer, should they be able to convince the player himself that now is the right time to commit to a big-money transfer.

That is according to journalist Christian Falk, who reports that while Bayern Munich are still optimistic they have a good chance at signing Wirtz, Allianz Arena bosses will not make a move for the midfielder this summer – instead moving in 2026, along with Real Madrid.

That is largely due to the common belief among several European giants that the 21-year-old is going to sign a new contract at Bayer Leverkusen, with a new release clause embedded for the summer of 2026.

However, Manchester City have other ideas and retain their plan of moving for the player this summer, with the report also claiming that agent Giovanni Branchini is involved in the deal and is trying to convince Wirtz to sign for the Etihad Stadium club.

The report does reinforce the belief from within Germany at present that Wirtz will remain at Bayer Leverkusen for a further season with the player feeling comfortable at the club and perhaps an extended stay for manager Xabi Alonso influencing his own decision.

For the remainder of the ongoing campaign, De Bruyne will likely remain integral to Manchester City’s goalscoring and creative output, particularly with matches on a more sporadic basis given the club’s exit from UEFA Champions League football.

The season remains a huge one for those in Sky Blue however, despite being ruled out of the Premier League title chase, as they go in pursuit of a top-four finish to ensure European football for the following season.

There also remains a shot at silverware in the coming weeks with the FA Cup still outstanding as an available competition for Manchester City, as they travel to face Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium come the end of the month.

Other candidates to operate in the attacking midfield roles between now and the summer transfer window include the likes of Omar Marmoush, Phil Foden, and James McAtee – all of whom have impressed in the last few weeks.