Barcelona given next Messi hope with SURPRISING Wirtz update

Tom Weber

• Updated: 1 Mar 2024 12:02 GMT
• 4 min read

Florian Wirtz's father and agent has spoken about his son's future, and his comments are music to Barcelona's ears.

Speculation about the future of the Bayer Leverkusen wonderkid is rampant. Wirtz has been in absolutely stunning form under Xabi Alonso this term and this has seen interest in services increase massively.

Since returning from his ACL injury, Wirtz has gone from strength to strength and is arguably better than before. Given significant attacking freedom in Alonso's well-oiled Leverkusen machine, the 20-year-old has racked up eight goals and a whopping 17 assists so far.

READ MORE: Exclusive - Barcelona approach Roberto Martinez over replacing Xavi

It is, however, not just his attacking output that makes Wirtz such a sought-after commodity. Despite being a creative genius, the youngster is not afraid to put in the hard yards and do the dirty work for his team. According to father and agent Hans-Joachim, "Florian got lucky with Xabi Alonso."

The in-demand Basque coach, who is being linked with Liverpool and Bayern, has helped the attacking midfielder reach another level. With Alonso potentially taking the next step in his career in the summer, there have been suggestions that Wirtz could follow him out the door, but that won't be the case.

Wirtz to stay

The likes of Liverpool and Man City have been said to be keen on Wirtz, but according to his father, the youngster will likely remain with Bayer 04 for at least another two years. "Florian has a Leverkusen contract until 2027," he told the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger.

"That is approximately the time he will remain in Leverkusen. What will happen afterwards, we don't know yet. We have to wait the next two years and then we will see where the path leads." This surprising update from Wirtz's father is music to Barcelona's ears.

READ MORE: Liverpool planning Salah sacrifice: Reds make huge transfer decision over star

The Blaugrana are among the clubs with a long-standing interest in the German maestro, but he is simply unattainable for the cash-strapped Catalans right now. Leverkusen would demand north of €100 million for his services in the summer, a fee far beyond anything Barcelona could muster no matter how many 'levers' they activate.

As Spanish paper Sport explains, the comments from his father give Barcelona hope. Knowing that Wirtz won't be leaving anytime soon means that the Blaugrana can plan ahead and potentially put money aside for a future pursuit.

After all, Barcelona are still looking for a 'franchise player' and Wirtz certainly has the potential to become something of the club's next Lionel Messi. The attacking midfielder is already showing signs that he could dominate the game for the next decade.