Sources: Xabi Alonso’s call set to impact Liverpool & Manchester City’s efforts to sign starlet

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• EXCLUSIVE from Graeme Bailey

HITC understands Liverpool and Manchester City both believe their plans to land Florian Wirtz are set to be impacted by Xabi Alonso’s decision to stay at Bayer Leverkusen.

The Spanish boss is edging closer to guiding Bayer Leverkusen to their first-ever Bundesliga title.

The job the 42-year-old has done in Germany has attracted admirers from across Europe, including Liverpool being keen to replace Jurgen Klopp with their former midfielder.

But over the international break, Alonso made it clear that he will be staying in Leverkusen beyond the summer.

Liverpool and Manchester City’s Florian Wirtz blow

As HITC has revealed, both Liverpool and Manchester City have been keeping close tabs on Florian Wirtz, who they both believe is one of the most gifted young players in world football.

The 20-year-old has battled back from a knee injury that ruled him out of the World Cup in Qatar and is now again at the level that sees both Premier League title-chasing duo keen.

The quick-thinking playmaker has played 27 league games this term, scoring seven goals and supplying ten assists.

He also has seven goals involvement in the Europa League and will be on English soil this month when his side face David Moyes’ West Ham United over a two-legged affair.

Bayern Munich’s interest in Florian Wirtz

Bayern Munich are also very much in the mix for Wirtz and would love to pair him with Jamal Musiala, as they have seen Julian Nagelsmann do in Germany’s recent friendly successes over France and the Netherlands.

However, Bayern, Liverpool and Man City look set to be disappointed in the short-term at least, as HITC is told by sources with knowledge of the situation that Wirtz is set to stick with Leverkusen for another season – alongside Alonso.

HITC has been told that Bayer hope that a number of star names, including Jeremie Frimpong, Piero Hincapié, Exequiel Palacios and Victor Boniface could be persuaded to stay for at least one more season.