Bayern target Bundesliga's first €100m signing
Stuart Telford
- 1 Oct 2022 16:58 BST
- 3 min read
Lucas Hernandez remains Bayern Munich's record transfer after his €80 million arrival from Atletico Madrid in 2019, but that could be about to change…
Bayern are desperate to secure Florian Wirtz's signature, with the Bayer Leverkusen youngster seen as a generational talent In Germany.
The record Bundesliga champions have a rich history of poaching the best young players from potential domestic rivals, with Mario Gotze a player in Wirtz's position who commanded a €37m fee when he moved from Borussia Dortmund in 2013.
Florian #Wirtz has been linked with @realmadrid today. You can see why...pic.twitter.com/j1TQ8t5kqH
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) March 3, 2022
Next summer will be 10 years on from Bayern signing the Germany World Cup winner, and the market has moved accordingly. The Bavarians are also acutely aware of Wirtz's talent - his first Bundesliga goal was scored against the great Manuel Neuer back in June 2020.
Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic also reportedly organised a meeting with Wirtz and his representatives last season.
"At a secret meeting with a middleman at Munich's Nockherberg last season, talks are said to have already taken place to show the record champion's interest," write German newspaper Bild.
"Wirtz and his father Hans-Joachim are said to have been very receptive to Bayern's interest in the event of a Leverkusen departure."
Why would Wirtz cost so much?
Still just 19-years old, Wirtz is already a full German international who would have more than his four senior caps had he not ruptured his cruciate ligament in March.
Since that first Bundesliga goal against Neuer, Wirtz has scored 12 more, as well as laying on 16 assists, to give him a goal-involvement of one every 154 minutes he has played in Germany's top flight - a significant return for a midfielder.
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Leverkusen, aware of his talent, bolted him down to a new five-year contract in June, which further drives up his price - although if they miss out on the Champions League this season he could be available for less.
Wirtz is rated at €79m by Football Transfers sophisticated in-house algorithm - and that's with him having hardly kicked a ball this year.
Bayern don't want to lose the next Kai Havertz to Chelsea or any other team in the Premier League, and if they want a decade of elite-level service for Gotze's successor at international level, they might have to part ways with €100m, and in Wirtz case, they would be willing to.
