{"id":79731,"date":"2025-05-06T17:43:16","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T17:43:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/79731\/"},"modified":"2025-05-06T17:43:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T17:43:16","slug":"revealed-german-wonderkid-florian-wirtz-has-decided-his-next-club-and-its-not-real-madrid-or-man-city-to-replace-kevin-de-bruyne","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/79731\/","title":{"rendered":"Revealed: German wonderkid Florian Wirtz has decided his next club – and it’s not Real Madrid or Man City to replace Kevin de Bruyne"},"content":{"rendered":"

By ADAM POGRUND<\/a> <\/a> <\/p>\n

Published: 12:11 EDT, 6 May 2025 | Updated: 13:00 EDT, 6 May 2025 <\/p>\n

Manchester City<\/a> and Real Madrid<\/a> have suffered a transfer blow with Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz reportedly only keen to join Bayern Munich<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Wirtz had been touted as a replacement for the outgoing Kevin De Bruyne<\/a> and the reigning European champions were also interested in the German international.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

But he has told Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso<\/a> he is only open to a move to the newly-crowned German champions, according to\u00a0Sport Bild<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Wirtz still has two years remaining on his contract at Leverkusen and the timing of the transfer is unknown.<\/p>\n

The 22-year-old has scored 16 goals and provided 13 assists in 43 apperances this season.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It follows a hugely impressive campaign where Wirtz was vital in Leverkusen’s\u00a0 unprecedented unbeaten Bundesliga<\/a> season, which also saw them pick up the DFB-Pokal.<\/p>\n

\"Leverkusen <\/p>\n

Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz has reportedly told Alonso he only wants to join Bayern Munich\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The 22-year-old has scored 16 goals and provided 13 assists in 43 apperances this season<\/p>\n

\"Manchester <\/p>\n

Manchester City had been lining up the German international as a replacement for De Bruyne<\/p>\n

Wirtz has made 29 appearances for Germany, scoring six times, and has established himself as one of Europe’s hottest prospects.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Last month, Leverkusen’s CEO Fernando Carro told Radio Marca Wirtz would command a fee of ‘at least\u00a0\u20ac150million’, although he later said this was a mistake.<\/p>\n

In February, Bayern Munich chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge announced they would target Wirtz this summer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Manchester City, who have been long-term admirers, previously appeared to be in pole position.<\/p>\n

Rummenigge, a supervisory board member at Bayern, declared that the Bundesliga giants want to poach ‘the best player in Germany’ from their rivals.<\/p>\n

In an interview with AZ, Rummenigge said he makes ‘no secret of the fact that it must clearly be our goal to sign Wirtz.’<\/p>\n

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.’<\/p>\n

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 given that the attacking midfielder still has over two years left on his Leverkusen contract.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Xabi <\/p>\n

Xabi Alonso has himself been linked with a move to Real Madrid to replace Carlo Ancelotti<\/p>\n

\"Wirtz <\/p>\n

Wirtz would link up with Harry Kane, who won his first ever trophy on Sunday, in Munich<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso has also been heavily linked with a move away from the BayArena amid uncertainty over who will replace Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid.<\/p>\n

Leverkusen previously hinted that Alonso would be allowed to leave if an approach was made.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Carro indicated that Alonso would be permitted to depart if he was contacted by a club that he played for, such as Real Madrid.<\/p>\n

As reported by Fabrizio Romano, Carro said: ‘We have a gentleman’s agreement with Xabi Alonso for his exit’.<\/p>\n

‘If a team in which Xabi Alonso has played comes, we would sit down to talk and we would not prevent him’.<\/p>\n

Leverkusen sit in second place in the Bundesliga, 10 points behind Bayern Munich who wrapped up the title on Saturday to give Harry Kane his first ever trophy.<\/p>\n

They were also dumped out of the Champions League in the round of 16 after a 5-0 aggregate loss to their German rivals.\u00a0<\/p>\n