Article body analysed
By ADRIAN BISHOP Published: 01: 47 AEST, 10 May 2025 | Updated: 02: 37 AEST, 10 May 2025 8 View comments Manchester City are reportedly set to miss out on signing their top summer transfer target. Despite reaching the final of the FA Cup and being just three points behind second placed Arsenal in the Premier League, Pep Guardiola's side have fell considerably short of their own high standards this season. A nine game run in the Christmas period saw the club secure just a single league win, marking the worst spell of Guardiola's tenure at the club thus far. Following years of inactivity in the January window, City were decisive in looking to bolster their ranks this year, bringing in the likes of Aboukir Khusanov, Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez and Vitor Reis for considerable fees. With Kevin De Bruyne leaving the club this summer, Guardiola has been preparing another swoop into the market to strengthen his side and had reportedly earmarked Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz as his top target this summer. Wirtz has once again been key for Xabi Alonso's side this season and the 22-year-old has attracted interest from several of Europe's top clubs. Pep Guardiola is reportedly set to miss out on signing his top transfer target this summer Reports from Germany claim Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz has agreed to join Bayern Munich However, according to German journalist Christian Falk, Wirtz is set to forgo a move to the Premier League in favour of joining recently-crowned Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. The report states that Wirtz has agreed a move to the Bavarian giants, with Bayern prepared to offer €100million (£84. 7m) to bring him to the Allianz Arena. If Leverkusen opt not to sell their prize asset this summer however, Bayern are ready to wait until the summer of 2026 to make a move for the Germany international. Despite prior reports stating Wirtz still has three years remaining on his current deal at Leverkusen, Falk added the midfielder's contract is set to expire in 2027. The 22-year-old has scored 16 goals and provided 13 assists in 43 appearances this season. It follows a hugely impressive campaign where Wirtz was vital in Leverkusen's unprecedented unbeaten Bundesliga season, which also saw them pick up the DFB-Pokal. Wirtz has made 29 appearances for Germany, scoring six times, and has established himself as one of Europe's hottest prospects. Last month, Leverkusen's CEO Fernando Carro told Radio Marca Wirtz would command a fee of 'at least €150million', although he later said this was a mistake. Wirtz is said to have been viewed as a potential replacement for the departing Kevin De Bruyne It will be fascinating to see what Vincent Kompany does with Jamal Musiala if Wirtz joins In February, Bayern Munich chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge announced they would target Wirtz this summer and it seems as though that is now the direction of travel. In an interview with AZ, Rummenigge said he makes 'no secret of the fact that it must clearly be our goal to sign Wirtz. ' He added: 'Everyone at FC Bayern agrees that he is exactly the player we want to sign. Not to weaken Leverkusen, but to strengthen us. ' Bayern's honorary president Uli Hoeness has also spoken about Wirtz's qualities in a separate interview with AZ, but admitted there could be financial obstacles. It was thought that Real Madrid would be an option for him, especially with Xabi Alonso set to be heading to the Bernabeu to replace the outgoing Carlo Ancelotti - having announced he is leaving Bayer Leverkusen. But it seems as though Bayern will get their man, who is undoubtedly one of the best prospects in the game. With City looking set to miss out on Wirtz as a creative successor to De Bruyne, Nottingham Forest talisman Morgan Gibbs-White has been touted as a potential target for the club. The two-cap England international has been integral to Forest's success this season, netting five Premier League goals and registering seven assists for Nuno Espirito Santo's Europe-chasing side.
Share what you think
The comments below have not been moderated.
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of Mail Online.
By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your Mail Online comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to Mail Online as usual. Do you want to automatically post your Mail Online comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to Mail Online as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on Mail Online. To do this we will link your Mail Online account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy. Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group