Manchester City will need to find a long-term replacement for Kevin De Bruyne at some point – and Florian Wirtz might just be suggesting himself as the ideal candidate.
City maestro De Bruyne is 32 now and fans know that he has struggled with injuries in recent times.
Earlier this year, he was forced off in the Champions League final against Inter, after he had ‘snapped’ his hamstring.
Then, in City’s first Premier League game of the 2023/24 season, De Bruyne injured his hamstring again and needed surgery.
He’s about to return to action which is a major boost, but it’s very possible this could be the start of the £350,000-a-week star’s decline.
It is not something any City fan wants to consider, but it’s a possibility – and Florian Wirtz is definitely someone the club need to keep a close eye on.
Manchester City target Florian Wirtz becomes joint-top assist maker in Europe so far
Over in the Bundesliga, Bayer Leverkusen are absolutely flying under Xabi Alonso, with the club still unbeaten this season.
Alonso has got his team playing some brilliant football and is getting the results to boot – and Wirtz has been one of the Spanaird’s key players.
The 20-year-old is shining in near enough every game he plays, and at the weekend he grabbed his seventh Bundesliga assist of the season against Bochum.
That took his tally to 12 across all competitions, which actually puts him joint-top of the assists chart for all players in Europe’s big five leagues, alongside Arsenal star Bukayo Saka (via Squawka).
But Wirtz hasn’t just been assisting, he’s also been chipping in with goals himself, scoring eight goals.
It was reported a few weeks ago that City were planning to fight the likes of Liverpool and Bayern Munich ‘all the way’ for Wirtz, who has been dubbed ‘outstanding’ by Hansi Flick.
What a talent
City are eventually going to lose a lot of output with De Bruyne and so it is important the club sign a replacement who has especially solid numbers in terms of assists and chance creation.
12 assists already this season is a clear indicator that Wirtz makes things happen for others, just as De Bruyne does for City.
What’s more, Wirtz is actually a pretty good player without the ball as well. According to WhoScored on December 21, the youngster won possession in the attacking third more times (21) than any other player in the Bundesliga this season.
Pep is very big on pressing and work rate, so this as well as his attacking numbers is bound to give the City boss plenty to think about.
