Arsenal 'unlikely' to rival Real Madrid and Man City for €150m transfer

Suraj Radia

Updated: 28 Sept 2024 10:44 BST
3 min read

Arsenal are understood to hold a strong interest in Florian Wirtz but Mikel Arteta’s side are ‘likely’ to drop out of the race to sign the Bayer Leverkusen wonderkid next summer.

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Wirtz has established himself as a standout performer in the Bundesliga, providing 11 goals and 11 assists last season to lead Leverkusen to their first ever title.

The 21-year-old has continued his fine form into the new campaign, scoring four goals in his opening four league appearances, and he is expected to command significant interest from the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Manchester City next summer.

German outlet Bild state that Arsenal are also ‘fully committed’ to trying to sign Wirtz, having ‘closely observed’ him as a youngster at Koln, although Leverkusen are set to demand as much as €150 million for their talisman.

However, GIVEMESPORT claim that Arsenal’s interest, although genuine, is ‘unlikely to reach a stage where they actually table a formal offer’, with ‘no expectation’ that a deal to sign Wirtz will get done.

The report suggests that Arsenal will focus on more attacking talent, while the emergence of 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri could allow the Gunners to prioritise their frontline instead.

What does the future hold for Florian Wirtz?

Wirtz rejected the chance to leave Leverkusen this summer, insisting he was happy at the club, with his father claiming that the German international will look to honour his contract until 2027.

Real Madrid are thought to have made Wirtz a priority target next summer, although Bayern are hoping to pair him with Germany teammate Jamal Musiala, while City could see the playmaker as a natural successor to Kevin de Bruyne.

Current ETV

Florian Wirtz

AM (C)

Bayer 04

Florian Wirtz

AM (C)

Bayer 04

ETV Range

€62.8M - €104.7M

Arsenal, meanwhile, are likely to try and make a big money move for a striker next summer after failing to sign one this year, meaning a potentially club-record deal for Wirtz could prove unrealistic.

Bild state that Wirtz would want his next team to be challenging for Champions Leagues and giving him the opportunity to win the Ballon d’Or, having been nominated for the award this year.