Liverpool and Manchester City could find themselves in a battle for Florian Wirtz’s signature, no doubt with Xabi Alonso’s ringing endorsements playing a big role in their interest.
The Bayer Leverkusen star has been linked with a move to Anfield for some time now, having emerged as one of Europe’s most-coveted players after helping Alonso’s side to an unbeaten domestic double last season.
City though could prevent Liverpool from getting anywhere near the 21-year-old, with reports suggesting that he’s being viewed as a possible replacement for Kevin De Bruyne, who will depart the Etihad this summer after 10 years with the club.
According to The Athletic, Wirtz is being eyed up along with Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White, who has also been linked with Liverpool. The former is valued at around $164 million, with Bayern Munich also said to be interested.
That could see him priced out of a move to Anfield, given Arne Slot has plenty of areas in his squad that will need addressing during the summer transfer window. However, Alonso has already given his former side plenty of reasons why they should be gearing up to battle City for Wirtz’s signature.
Alonso has not been shy of lavishing his star player with praise since he took over as manager of the German club. Even during the early stages of his tenure, he was comparing Wirtz to perhaps the greatest player of all time.
(Image: Jörg Schüler)
“There are good players and there are players who look good on the pitch,” Alonso said back in January 2023. “The player who looks good does things that are nice, but not necessarily efficient.
“Why is Messi so good? Because he knows how and when to play simple passes. Messi says: ‘You’re in a better position? Here, there you have the ball!’ It’s not always about making the most brilliant move, but the best and smartest. Florian can do that. That’s why he’s so good.”
Wirtz’s emergence as Leverkusen’s biggest star has of course not gone unnoticed, with it looking likely his current club will have a tough time keeping hold of him in the near future – something which Alonso seems to be all too aware of, having spoken about his desire for the German international to play more big games.
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Speaking after a Champions League win over Red Bull Salzburg in November 2024, Alonso said: “We want to help Florian Wirtz. We know how different he is for us. We have to find him at the right moments. We need to have a good structure to help him. This competition is for him. He is a Champions League player.
“Hopefully we can go through to the next round. For Florian, he wants to have a big game. A big game is the best thing for him.”
And Wirtz has continued to catch the eye since then, especially after scoring a wonder goal against St Pauli back in December. “His control, his dribbling. It’s not easy to do that in a tight space,” Alonso commented about the strike.
“He is a special player for us. We’re happy that he’s here and gives us that extra quality. He has a top mentality and I had nothing to do with the goal. That’s his genius, his moment.”
