Real Madrid must act fast to sign No.10 wonderkid

Stuart Telford

• 24 Feb 2023 17:54 GMT
• 3 min read

Real Madrid have scouted a number of young players to fill the No.10 void left by Isco, and one of them has shown just how good he is since returning from injury.

Real generally play a 4-3-3 under Carlo Ancelotti, reducing the need for a No.10, and it has worked for them in recent seasons - they are the defending Spanish and European champions after all.

But Isco gave them another tactical option, and his departure to Sevilla on a free transfer last summer left them short of a player in a specialist position.

READ: Wirtz 'receptive' to Bayern Munich transfer after secret meeting

Real have previously scouted Florian Wirtz, but the Bayer Leverkusen youngster ruptured a cruciate ligament in his knee last March and has only recently returned to action.

But his performances since he has have been off the chart, with the 19-year-old averaging a goal-involvement of one every 86 minutes he has played since his January comeback.

Wirtz had a goal and an assist as Leverkusen beat Monaco 3-2 on the Europa League knock-out round play-off on Thursday, but Real aren't the only club who have been watching him, with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich harbouring a long-term intention to sign him.

READ: Zidane tells Real Madrid: sign rising Ligue 1 star and I'll return

Toni Kroos, who has played for each of Leverkusen, Bayern and Real Madrid, would like to see Wirtz follow him to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Kroos a fan of Wirtz

"Players who have potential to play for Real? I like Florian Wirtz," he told the OMR podcast last year. "We have Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga, who already play a really good role with us and are definitely players who will shape the next few decades."

Wirtz himself might have other ideas.

"I always want to be the best. As a kid, I dreamt of playing for Barcelona," he said back in 2021. "That's not changed, but it can wait."

If Real reignite their interest they had better act fast. Wirtz's form is making a move beyond Leverkusen next summer begin to look unavoidable.