Man City 'willing' to submit huge £85m bid to blow Liverpool out the water and land priority transfer target
Man City have been linked to the attacker as a long-term replacement for the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva.
Man City are set for somewhat of a rebuild this summer with a number of their top players well over the 30-mark, with some set to leave too.
It was announced earlier in April that Kevin De Bruyne will leave the Etihad in the summer after 10 years with City. Furthermore, Bernardo Silva has been linked with a move away after winning six Premier League titles in sky blue.
Assuming that De Bruyne, Silva and more won’t be at City next season, they will need to find replacements who can make up for losing that creative ability. They have been linked to a top Bundesliga attacker who could be one such player.
Man City willing to bid £85m on Wirtz
One player that City have been linked to in recent months is Bayer Leverkusen attacker Florian Wirtz, who has also attracted the attention of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Premier League rivals Liverpool.
Wirtz has made 42 appearances for Leverkusen this season, scoring 15 goals and providing 13 assists. He can play both as an attacking midfielder in the centre or as a winger, with versatility similar to someone like Bernardo Silva.
According to French outlet Foot Mercato, Man City remain in the mix for Wirtz, despite the fact that Bayern Munich look to be the front-runners to land the 21-year-old. They report that City are willing to spend over £85m to sign the attacker; however, as they face competition to sign him, they may have to offer more.
The report says that Munich has already reached a contract agreement with Wirtz, but nothing has been made clear as to what that consists of in terms of salary, or contract length. The German winger reportedly has a £107m release clause in his contract, but City are hoping to land him for less than that, and could make an £85m bid for him soon, in order to get ahead of Bayern Munich.
Who could City sign if Wirtz moves to Bayern Munich?
If City fail to land the 21-year-old, they will have to look at alternative transfer targets to help fill the void of De Bruyne and Silva this summer. One name that they have been linked to is Paris Saint-Germain attacker Desire Doue, who is widely considered to be one of the most talented and exciting prospects in European football.
Doue has made 48 appearances for PSG this season, scoring 13 goals and providing 12 assists for Luis Enrique’s side. The 19-year-old is expected to command a similar fee to Wirtz, however, as PSG reportedly placed an £85m price tag on him. Man United are also said to be interested in Doue, but due to their precarious financial position, they would provide less competition for Man City than initially expected if they were both to go after the winger.