£129m "best midfielder in the world" tempted to join Man City after talks

A player who was described as the “best midfielder in the world” earlier this season is now reportedly keen on sealing a move to Manchester City this summer.

Guardiola eyeing Man City summer signings

The Premier League champions have been linked with plenty of potential new signings in recent weeks, with Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz said to be in talks over a summer move.

The Germany international may be considered a natural replacement for Kevin De Bruyne at the Etihad, with the legendary midfielder confirming that he is leaving City at the end of the season.

Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola is believed to be willing to pay £60m for the signing of Tottenham midfielder James Maddison, as he looks for more creativity in his squad. The Spurs ace has nine goals and six assists to his name in the Premier League this season.

At the other end of the pitch, Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin has been sounded out as a new option between the sticks, possibly even being seen as an eventual replacement for Ederson.

World-renowned star keen on joining Man City

According to Manchester Evening News‘ Daily Briefly, Wirtz is now interested in joining Manchester City this summer, but Leverkusen will demand £129m for his services.

Real Madrid are also in the mix to sign the 21-year-old, and if Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso ends up replacing Carlo Ancelotti at the Santiago Bernabeu then they could arguably become the favourites to snap him up, but City are “very tempting” to the player.

Wirtz is an outstanding footballer who has already achieved so much in his career, winning the Bundesliga title last season and earning 29 caps for Germany. The attacking midfielder can also thrive out wide, so his versatility could appeal to Guardiola, who loves to have attacking players who are fluent in the final third.

Meanwhile, former Leverkusen striker Patrick Helmes paid him huge praise earlier this season: “I was in the stadium for the Champions League match against Salzburg. What Florian Wirtz can do is absolutely exceptional for me. Probably the best midfielder in the world. I think that Wirtz has something different that Jamal Musiala isn’t quite ready for yet. I think Wirtz will simply move on in the summer. He has left huge shoes to fill in Leverkusen. With the way he plays football, he is an absolute hero there, the best player in the squad.”

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If City managed to sign Wirtz, albeit for huge money, it could be a wonderful piece of business, with the German arguably already a world-class player at the age of just 21.

Hugely mature both in and out of possession, his end product is highlighted by a tally of 56 goals and 63 assists for Leverkusen, coming in a total of 192 matches, and he could fill the void left by De Bruyne.