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Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz is planning to stay at the Bundesliga club for the foreseeable future.
The 20 year old has been in sensational form for the runaway league leaders.
Wirtz has contributed eight goals and a mind-blowing 17 assists in 31 games this season in all competitions for the team from the BayArena.
United have had an interest in the player dating back to the dark days of Ralf Rangnick’s time as manager, as it was relayed here in 2021 that the coach had made Wirtz his number one target for the summer of 2022.
It was also reported at the end of 2023 that the Red Devils were scouting the attacking midfielder and were very interested in the player’s services.
It was claimed that only a price of €85m would be enough to prise the talent away from Xabi Alonso’s much-admired side.
Reports out of Germany had suggested that Bayer would be happy to keep the player for at least one more season but it seems they can be more optimistic.
Wirtz’s agent and father, Hans-Joachim Wirtz told Kolner Stadt-Anzieger that “Florian has a contract in Leverkusen until 2027. That is roughly how long he will stay at Leverkusen”.
“There’s no answer what will happen when. We should wait for the next two years and then we’ll see what happens”.
The rationale is that Wirtz’s family want the in-demand attacker to reach a more consistent level before moving onto a higher rung on his career ladder.
“It will still take some time until he is able to achieve these performances consistently. Only then can we talk about superlatives and higher qualifications”.
The representative then paid a compliment to the role of his current manager in the player’s development.
“Florian is very lucky to have Xabi Alonso, who brings a lot of qualities. He has a great relationship with the whole team. It’s the right coach at the right time”.
With a seven point advantage in the table and his side through to the last 16 of the Europa League, it is understandable why Wirtz may think the future is bright for the German side, who are looking to win their first trophy since the 1992/1993 season when they won the cup.
The comments about Xabi Alonso could be telling, though, given the noise around the former Liverpool star potentially replacing Jurgen Klopp, who is leaving Anfield at the end of the season. If Alonso leaving could change Wirtz’s mind about staying, then United’s old rivals could inadvertently do them a big favour this summer.
