Bayer Leverkusen attacker Florian Wirtz has become a transfer target for La Liga giants Barcelona, according to Fabrizio Romano (via @ManagingBarca on Twitter).
The Blaugrana stormed Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich for Robert Lewandowski last summer. They disbursed 45 million euros to attract the Polish striker to the Camp Nou.
It seems that Barcelona is ready to import another star from the German top flight this year. According to the aforementioned source, they are among the clubs keeping an eye on Leverkusen attacker Wirtz.
Wirtz rose to fame after making his senior debut for Leverkusen at the age of 17. He made his first appearance for the club in their 4-1 win against Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga in May 2020.
Since then, the attacker has become an important player for Die Werkself. He has made 86 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring 21 goals and assisting 26.
Wirtz is so good that Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso has drawn parallels between him and Lionel Messi. The Spanish strategist became lyrical about the teenager for his cunning. He said:
“There are good players and there are players who look good on the field. The player who looks good does nice things, but not necessarily efficient.”
“Why is Messi so good? Because he knows how and when to play simple passes. Messi says: ‘Are you in a better position? Here, there you have the ball! It’s not always about making the most brilliant play, but the better and smarter. Florian can do that. That’s why he’s so good.”
Now it remains to be seen if Barcelona can get Wirtz. The 19-year-old certainly won’t be cheap, as he has a contract with Leverkusen until the summer of 2027.
Barcelona face competition from Real Madrid for Wirtz
The blaugrana are not the only LaLiga giants who have taken note of Wirtz’s abilities. They will have to fend off competition from arch-rival Real Madrid to gain his services.
According to Romano (via @MadridXtra on Twitter), the Whites are also following the Germany international. The race for the player appears to be heating up ahead of the summer transfer window.
There are likely to be more clubs in the race to secure Wirtz’s services if Leverkusen is ready to sell him. German giant Bayern was credited with an interest in him in October last year.