Manchester City are expected to be very busy this summer, as the rebuild of the squad continues.
The 2024/25 season has been a real struggle, and Manchester City are currently battling to secure Champions League football for next term.
Steps were taken in January to improve the picture, with four new signings being made; Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis and Nico Gonzalez.
But there’s an acceptance that City’s squad needs rebuilding properly this summer, and several players could be on their way.
One player we already know is leaving City is Kevin De Bruyne.
And the club will have a very difficult task replacing the Belgian maestro.
But one player many fans think could be up to the task is Florian Wirtz, and Pep Guardiola seems to have now taken an important step in his pursuit of the player
Pep Guardiola has been in contact with Florian Wirtz
According to German publication BILD, Pep Guardiola has been ‘intensively digging’ around Wirtz ahead of the summer.
The Spaniard is keen to land the player, who is regarded as one of Europe’s very best young players.
And the boss has apparently done something which is fairly significant, and that is that he has already explained his plan to Wirtz personally.
Wirtz is essentially being lined up as the replacement for De Bruyne.
Florian Wirtz asking price and what salary Man City could offer
As Wirtz is one of the best young players in world football, he will not come cheap.
There are also other clubs, such as Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, keen on the player, and the fact that he’s coveted will again mean that his price is high.
Leverkusen have proposed a new contract for the player, which is said to include a release clause of around £107 million.
But if he does not extend, then Leverkusen will look to sell this summer and would demand around £130 million.
Should this be too high, then City could well offer James McAtee and Stefan Ortega plus cash to sign Wirtz.
It’s also been reported City could offer Wirtz a €25m-per-year (£21.4 million) salary (via GGFN).
