'Unhappy' Real Madrid 'step up' €100m Wirtz pursuit

Tom Weber

• Updated: 13 Nov 2024 18:53 GMT
• 3 min read

Real Madrid are stepping up their pursuit of Florian Wirtz, according to a report.

Los Blancos are in the midst of a crisis. With Kylian Mbappe finally at the club, this season ought to have been one to confirm Real Madrid's dominance over European football. However, it has been anything but.

The retirement of Toni Kroos, the frequent injuries and Mbappe's inability to play as a No.9 have made the Spanish champions look more vulnerable and tame than at any other point in recent memory.

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According to ESPN, the decision of Kroos to hang up his boot, in particular, has been a massive blow to the side, upsetting the team's balance and build-up.

'Sources close to Madrid's coaching staff' have told the outlet that they are 'unhappy' with the current midfield options, feeling that there is a distinct lack of a 'ball player.'

Real Madrid step up Wirtz chase

As a result, Real Madrid are said to have intensified their monitoring of Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz. Regarded as one of the biggest talents in European football, it is no secret that Florentino Perez wants to bring him to the Santiago Bernabeu.

The 21-year-old has been a talismanic figure for last season's German double winners and has duly been fitted with a price tag in excess of €100 million.

Leverkusen would prefer to tie him to a new contract, but there is an acceptance that it will be difficult to keep hold of him beyond 2025, especially if coach Xabi Alonso - also targeted by Real Madrid - leaves.

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Wirtz, it has been claimed in Germany, would prefer a move to Bayern Munich before heading abroad but there is little chance of Leverkusen agreeing to such a course of action as their relationship with the Bavarians deteriorated in the summer - and CEO Fernando Carro is a Los Blancos fan.

Intriguingly, the above-mentioned report asserts that Real Madrid have only been keeping tabs on Wirtz since last season, which seems odd considering that he has been considered a truly special talent since first bursting onto the scene as a 17-year-old in 2020 and even before.