Liverpool to rival Man City for Guardiola’s dream €130m target – report

Harry Watkinson 23 Apr 2025 7:09 PM

Liverpool manager Arne Slot and Man City boss Pep Guardiola

Liverpool have joined Manchester City in the race to sign Bayer Leverkusen superstar Florian Wirtz and could launch a record-breaking bid this summer, per reports.

The 21-year-old German international is considered one of the most exciting young attacking midfielders in the game and has been earmarked by Pep Guardiola as a potential replacement for Kevin de Bruyne.

Leverkusen want to keep Wirtz and are trying to convince him to sign a new contract. Even if he doesn’t pen new terms with the Bundesliga side, it will take a huge fee to sign him this summer.

According to CaughtOffside, Liverpool have ‘identified Wirtz as a summer transfer target’, while Arsenal are also admirers and could compete for his signature.

The report states that Liverpool ‘could use more creativity and technical ability in the final third,’ hence why they’re considering Wirtz. He could compete with Dominik Szoboszlai to play in the No.10 role for the Reds.

Arsenal, meanwhile, are said to be ‘overly dependent’ on Martin Odegaard and Wirtz could therefore ease the burden on the Norwegian attacking midfielder.

With Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City and also Bayern Munich keen on Wirtz, Leverkusen will demand €120m-€130m (£102m-£112m) for him this summer. They won’t sell him for anything less, and if Liverpool match that valuation he will be their most expensive signing ever by some distance.

Florian Wirtz is Man City’s ‘dream’ target – sources

TEAMtalk contributor Ben Jacobs reported on April 11th that Wirtz is Man City’s ‘dream’ replacement for De Bruyne, who has confirmed he will be leaving as a free agent this summer.

We understand that Leverkusen have already put a contract offer on the table, which if signed would keep Wirtz with them for at least another season.

Any new deal would likely include a release clause, so Wirtz’s suitors would have to wait until the summer of 2026 to get him.

There’s no guarantee that City will be able to sign the German international even if they bid north of £100m this summer. He’s their ideal target, but there are obstacles to an agreement. Bayern Munich are considered City’s main rivals in the race, and it remains to be seen whether Liverpool will launch their own bid, as CaughtOffside suggest.

With this in mind, City have identified alternatives to Wirtz should he prove impossible to sign. As previously reported, Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White is on City’s shortlist.

City have also looked at Atalanta midfield pair Ederson and Charles de Ketelaere previously. They were discussed under outgoing sporting director Txiki Begiristain, so it remains to be seen if they’ll still be a target for Hugo Viana.

There is still long-standing interest in Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, too. The Brazilian would be another expensive signing, and will potentially prove impossible to get if the Magpies qualify for the Champions League.

City enquired about Guimaraes last summer, as did Arsenal, and if he becomes genuinely available those two clubs could be ones to watch.

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