Arsenal blow €150m Wirtz race wide open

Tom Weber

Updated: 25 Sept 2024 16:50 BST
3 min read

Arsenal have barged into the Florian Wirtz transfer race, according to German media.

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The Bayer Leverkusen wonderkid will be one of the most sought-after players of the 2025 summer window. Wirtz has been in absolutely stunning form under Xabi Alonso and is rightfully viewed as one of Europe's biggest talents.

After Bayer 04's spectacular season, Wirtz would have been forgiven for slightly taking his foot off the gas, but the 21-year-old has just been relentless, starring for Germany at Euro 2024 and beginning the new campaign like a house on fire.

Wirtz has already netted six times and recorded one assist in seven outings for the Bundesliga champions so far and is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Amid frequent speculation over his future, Wirtz and his family repeatedly stated that he would not move in the 2024 summer window. His father and agent even went so far as to imply that he could see out his contract, which runs until 2027, but this is looking increasingly unlikely.

Arsenal join Wirtz race

Given his talent and performance levels, Wirtz is a player admired by every major European club and, as such, he has been linked with seemingly every elite club.

In England, Liverpool and Man City have been repeatedly associated with the German, while Barcelona and Real Madrid, but especially the latter, are also keeping their eyes on him.

However, the club most desperately trying to sign Wirtz are Bayern. The Bavarians have been courting him since 2020 and want to launch a huge transfer offensive for a player valued at a minimum of €150 million, according to Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro.

The German behemoth will face fierce competition, though, and BILD has now seemingly blown the Wirtz transfer race wide open by suggesting in its print edition that Arsenal have 'fully joined' the struggle for his signature.

Given their dramatic improvements under Mikel Arteta in recent seasons, the Gunners can no longer be considered a long shot to land Wirtz, though they will likely have to shatter Declan Rice's transfer record to land the mercurial 21-year-old.