According to a report from Germany, Manchester City will need to make Florian Wirtz the costliest transfer in their history if they aim to acquire Bayer Leverkusen's star player.
You don’t need to be a Bundesliga diehard to know Florian Wirtz is the real deal. At just 21, he’s already bossing games like a seasoned No. 10, and if anyone’s still sleeping on him, they haven’t been watching.
While Leverkusen have hit their rough patches this season, Wirtz hasn’t flinched if anything, he’s been dragging them through it. Fifteen goals, twelve assists, and a bag full of highlight-reel moments in 34 games.
It’s not just the stats, either it’s the swagger, the composure, the vision. He sees things before defenders even know they’re in trouble.
That kind of consistency, in a league that chews up young talent if they’re not built right, was always going to draw the sharks. And now, Europe’s biggest clubs are circling because players like this? They don’t come around often.
Real Madrid has been strongly associated with the innovative playmaker, while City are viewed as longstanding fans.
Pep Guardiola was eager to sign Wirtz for the Etihad Stadium in the January transfer window and is still focused on advancing City's lavish reconstruction with the Germany international as his primary star, according to BILD.
Leverkusen is attempting to secure a one-year contract extension for their star player, although reports claiming otherwise indicate it has not been finalized. If they finalize an agreement, it is expected to feature a buyout clause of €125m (£104m) - but this would only take effect from the summer of 2026.
If Wirtz fails to sign, Leverkusen will seek a minimum of €150m (£125m) for a player whose existing contract runs until 2027.
The club's priciest purchase continues to be the £100m spent on Jack Grealish during the summer of 2021. As Guardiola has emphasized, the current Premier League champions have managed to balance their spending in the transfer market with profitable sales.
To maintain that strategy, City might have to sell before pledging a nine-figure sum to Wirtz after spending approximately £180m on five permanent signings in the January transfer window.
But here’s where it gets complicated and very City-like.
As much as Guardiola admires Wirtz, this isn’t a blank-cheque summer. City’s current spending spree, which includes the likes of Lucas Paquetá and Yankuba Minteh, has already raised Financial Fair Play eyebrows. The club may need to cash in on fringe assets before they can even dream of meeting Leverkusen’s nine-figure demand.
According to Sky Germany, the total outlay for City’s January and early summer activity is pushing toward the £200 million mark, with Etihad insiders warning that further splashes would require "serious outgoings." João Cancelo, Kalvin Phillips, and even Bernardo Silva are rumored to be possible departures.
But even if City find the funds, does Wirtz want the Etihad?
Report from several sources close to the club is that one of the biggest reasons Wirtz started to pull away from a potential move to City was all the noise around Pep Guardiola’s future.
And really, can you blame the him? Sure, on paper, Pep’s contract runs till 2027. But contracts are just ink in football and around City, there’s been that quiet hum for a while now that Guardiola might pack it in earlier.
You hear it from staff, old players, even some of the journos who've been following him for years.
For a 21 year old like Wirtz, who's not just changing clubs but changing countries, cultures, expectations that kind of uncertainty hits different. He’s not just thinking about trophies; he’s thinking about who’ll be shaping his football brain three years from now.
When you’re that young and that talented, you want to know you’re walking into a stable, defined identity. Not a power vacuum waiting to happen.
Wirtz wasn’t just looking for a club he wanted a project. A clear path. He reportedly asked for clarity on who'd be managing the side two or three seasons down the line. And truthfully, City couldn't give him a concrete answer.
As one German source put it, “Wirtz wanted to know what kind of football life he’d be stepping into. When that picture came back blurry, he hesitated.”
As Bild reported in June, Wirtz’s camp held private talks with Guardiola to discuss the project and the player left unconvinced.
According to German journalist Christian Falk, “Wirtz wanted to know: if I come, will Pep be there for the journey? The answer wasn’t convincing enough.”
That opened the door for Liverpool, who, under Arne Slot, were able to paint a long-term vision built around him.
As of late June, Liverpool pulled off the unthinkable signing Wirtz for a reported £116.5 million, making him the most expensive Premier League signing ever.
It was a power move that rocked not just Manchester but much of Europe.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Bayern Munich legend and board member, admitted in frustration:
“I would have liked Florian Wirtz at Bayern, but it’s clear the money speaks louder. Liverpool offered a project and the cash that was hard to turn down.”
(via Bavarian Football Works)
City fans, meanwhile, watched in disbelief. Some were puzzled why the club didn’t push harder, especially with Kevin De Bruyne now 33 and nursing more frequent injuries.
Others defended the strategy: “Wirtz is elite, but if he’s not fully sold on the vision, it’s better we walk away,” one City supporter posted on BlueMoon forum.
Still, it stings. Wirtz was arguably the perfect long-term successor to De Bruyne, someone with the creativity, grace under pressure, and leadership to carry the midfield for the next decade.
City haven’t fully shut the door. Sources close to the club say they may return in 2026 when Wirtz’s €125m release clause reportedly becomes active. But by then, who’s to say he’ll even be available?
If he’s bossing games at Anfield, embraced by the Kop, and lifting silverware, it might be too late.
Let’s not forget this is a player whose influence is already drawing comparisons to prime Mesut Özil, early Kai Havertz, and even a young Thomas Müller, but with sharper edges and more grit.
His youth coaches in Pulheim say he’s had that sixth sense since the age of ten. “Florian never ran for the ball the ball came to him,” one of them recalled in a 2024 ZDF interview. “He’s always had that magnetic field around him.”
Off the pitch, he’s famously grounded. Doesn’t chase the spotlight. Family-first. Trains like a man possessed. Not the type to court attention but the game keeps finding him.
City’s scouting reports have long highlighted his “total football IQ,” calling him a “chess grandmaster with boots on.” He plays three moves ahead. The assist before the assist? That’s his playground.
And the scary part? He’s still got room to grow. He’s not even at full capacity yet.
City know they missed a golden opportunity and so does Pep. According to a source close to the coaching staff, the Catalan manager was “genuinely frustrated” to lose out to Liverpool.
“It wasn’t just about money,” the source said. “He wanted Wirtz because he saw a bit of himself in the way he sees the game.”
And as the new season approaches, Guardiola’s squad looks strong on paper. But will they regret not making Wirtz the centerpiece?
For now, Liverpool have stolen a march. Wirtz has joined a club undergoing an exciting renaissance under Slot and there’s every chance he becomes the heartbeat of a new Liverpool dynasty.
But don’t rule out City just yet. As one German pundit put it:
“If Wirtz ever becomes available again, City will be there. That’s not a maybe that’s a promise.”
Until then, they’ll have to watch from the other side of the touchline, knowing that once the stars aligned for a Wirtz–Guardiola masterclass... and slipped through their fingers.
