JUST NOW: Manchester City and Liverpool are “particularly interested” in the same signing; the citizens may have a clear edge on signing the 24 year old.
Last month, SportBild explained that Manchester City are closely watching Florian Wirtz. The Premier League winners are joined by Liverpool in the chase for the Bayer Leverkusen star.
That’s according to a fresh reprot SportBild, who state Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid all want to sign the 20-year-old.
It’s further claimed these three clubs are ‘specifically interested’ in acquiring his services.
Bayern Munich have also been linked but the report says they are out of the race now.
The magazine assumes that €130m is needed to take him away from Bayer Leverkusen. He currently earns €7.5m per year and his salary would be at least doubled when he joins a new club.
The overall package of the deal is deemed too expensive for the Bavarian club, resulting in them dropping out of the race.
Wednesday’s edition of Bild provides more information on Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid. It’s suggested that Los Blancos are looking at the Germany international for 2025, and that may not be the case with the Premier League duo.
Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne will turn 33 years of age in June and Pep Guardiola is looking at Wirtz as the Belgian’s successor.
Bild claim it would be ‘easy to imagine’ the German at Liverpool if Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso were to end up at Anfield.
The Spaniard is the preferred candidate to replace Jürgen Klopp next season and if this were to happen, it may give the Reds an advantage to sign Wirtz.
The Leverkusen star has excelled under Alonso this season, managing eight goals and 16 assists from 30 games.
READ NEXT…
Liverpool rival Manchester City in Ferdi Kadioglu pursuit
Liverpool will reportedly compete with Manchester City for 24-year-old Dutch-born Fenerbahce left-back Ferdi Kadioglu.
According to a report by Turkiye Gazetesi, Ferdi Kadioglou is the subject of interest from Liverpool. The Reds are in the market for a left-back heading into the summer transfer window. Meanwhile, the Dutch-born Fenerbahce full-back is also a target for reigning Premier League champions Manchester City.
Who is Ferdi Kadioglu?
Ferdi Kadioglu is a native of Arnhem and spent his formative years in the Netherlands. He began his youth career at AZ 2000 before enjoying a short spell with ESA Arnhem. But the 24-year-old graduated from the NEC Nijmegen youth division, breaking into the club’s youth division several years ago.
The Dutch-born left-back represented the Netherlands in age-group international football but has chosen Turkiye as his national side at the senior level. Meanwhile, he has risen in prominence after joining Fenerbahce from NEC Nijmegen in July 2018. Kadioglu has been a mainstay in the Fenerbahce first team, turning out 34 times while chipping in with two goals and three assists.
Kadioglu’s progress at Fenerbahce has not gone unnoticed, capturing the attention of several high-profile clubs. Premier League clubs, in particular, are keen on signing him, with the earliest reports linking him with Arsenal. But the latest update has suggested that Liverpool and Manchester City are his potential destinations.
Liverpool, Manchester City Want Kadioglu
Liverpool’s interest in Ferdi Kadioglu is intriguing. The Merseyside club’s first-team squad has two recognised full-backs, with Andrew Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas being top-notch options. Nevertheless, widespread reports have linked Liverpool with several left-backs, considering the former will turn 30 next month. The Fenerbahce full-back has thus emerged as a viable target.
As for Manchester City, Pep Guardiola has barely utilised Sergio Gomez and has instead preferred Nathan Ake and Josko Gvardiol for the left-back berth. So, it behoves Manchester City to invest in a left-back, with Kadioglu emerging as an option worth considering for the reigning Premier League champions.
Liverpool’s entry into the picture complicates matters for Manchester City. But the treble winners can offer more regular game time than the Merseyside outfit. So, it will be interesting to see where the 24-year-old Dutch-born left-back lands if he leaves Fenerbahce this summer.
Leave a Reply