Arsenal and Liverpool are rivalling interest from Newcastle United in the transfer of Florian Wirtz. But the Bayer Leverkusen maestro’s stance is not on a move to the Premier League.
That is according to Sport, which reports that Wirtz has decided he does not want to leave the BayArena yet. Instead, the German wants to spend another season with his Bundesliga team and join Barcelona in 2024. The 19-year-old dreams of his future being at Camp Nou.
Barcelona are keeping close tabs on Wirtz’s performances after he recently returned from a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury. The La Liga giants are also confident that he will spend another season in Leverkusen before heading to Catalunya and leading their project.
Barcelona are optimistic despite interest from Arsenal and Liverpool in Wirtz
Wirtz’s stance being on waiting another year to join Barcelona delights the Blaugrana. The Camp Nou natives were growing worried that their troubled finances would block a move. Bayer Leverkusen currently value Wirtz at €70m (£62m) with his contract running to 2027.
Yet despite Barcelona’s optimism in Wirtz joining from Bayer Leverkusen in 2024, Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle are also interested in his transfer this summer. The Daily Mail has claimed that Toon boss Eddie Howe is exploring the wonderkid to improve their creativity.
While 90min has also credited Newcastle with an interest in Wirtz and notes that Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur are also in the mix. Fabrizio Romano, meanwhile, claims Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is eying a deal.
The Bayer Leverkusen maestro has set his stance on a move to Camp Nou
Arsenal, Liverpool and their array of rival suitors face disappointment with Wirtz setting his stance on a transfer from Bayer Leverkusen to Barcelona in 2024, though. 90min also adds that Die Werkself do not expect the Pulheim native will leave the BayArena in the summer.
But suitors have started to target moves for Wirtz, who Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso calls ‘extraordinary’, nonetheless. He has earned admirers around Europe having returned from a serious injury to score two and assist six goals in 13 fixtures across all competitions.
Wirtz has offered four of his assists through nine Bundesliga games and has started in five so far. He also penned two goals and two assists in four Europa League ties to help his side eliminate AS Monaco in the knockout round play-offs and Ferencvaros in the Round of 16.
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