Manchester City identifies another replacement for De Bruyne

Florian Wirtz could be the man to fill in at Manchester City because of an extended injury to Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian star reinjured his hamstring in the Premier League opener against Burnley. While City did win the game, 3-0, De Bruyne left after just 23 minutes on the pitch.

That led to Manchester City desperately hunting a midfielder with an attacking mindset. One of the first names to cross the Cityzens’ list of targets was Lucas Paqueta. However, West Ham United demanded exorbitant transfer fees. Also, Paqueta is entrenched in accusations of betting on games. Consequently, the deal for the Brazilian appears to have fallen through.

As a result, Manchester City is eyeing up one of the most promising young talents in the world. According to Matteo Moretto of Relevo, City inquired Bayer Leverkusen about the 20-year-old midfielder. Currently, Wirtz possesses one of the highest market values in the world. As a result, the signing fee poses a major threat to any potential transfer.

Moretto reports that Wirtz is a fan of what Guardiola is doing at Manchester City. The treble-winning club would be an enticing prospect for any young forward. Moreover, he has a clear path to minutes during De Bruyne’s recovery.

Manchester City targets already-proven Florian Wirtz

There is a reason Wirtz is so expensive. Not only did he set the previous record for youngest goal-scorer in Bundesliga history that has since been broken. His record with Bayer Leverkusen is strong. In the 2021/22 campaign, Wirtz had 17 goal contributions in 24 games. However, an injury at the end of the campaign put a wrench in his form. Upon his return last season, Wirtz showed glimpses.

However, in the young 2023/24 campaign, Wirtz is already back to scoring goals. He scored the eventual winner in Bayer Leverkusen’s season-opening win against RB Leipzig. If Manchester City dips back into the bank account, he could bring that talent to the Premier League as a natural replacement to Kevin De Bruyne.

PHOTO: IMAGO / RHR-Foto