- 21 hours ago
How Florentino Perez could BOTTLE Real Madrid's Remontada transfer for Florian Wirtz
Suraj Radia
- Updated: 18 Apr 2025 10:40 CDT
- 5 min read
Analysis
Real Madrid are in pole position to sign Florian Wirtz this summer and the Bayer Leverkusen star could be the key for the Spanish giants in more ways than one providing they do their part in securing his signature.
Wirtz is expected to be one of the most in-demand players of the upcoming transfer window even with Leverkusen holding out for €150 million for their talismanic wonderkid.
READ MORE: Fabrizio Romano Transfer News featuring Neymar, Kevin de Bruyne and Barcelona
Current ETV
Florian Wirtz
AM (C)
Bayer 04
Florian Wirtz
AM (C)
Bayer 04
ETV Range
€104.8M - €128.1M
The likes of Manchester City and Bayern Munich are also pushing strongly for Wirtz but German outlet BILD reported this week that the 21-year-old’s preference would be to move to Real over any other side.
City would be Wirtz’s second choice, with Bayern as a third, but it is believed that the potential appointment of Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso as a successor to Carlo Ancelotti has helped outline Real as an ideal destination for the German international.
A move to Real could prove a match made in heaven for both Wirtz and the La Liga side, particularly if appointing Alonso is the plan, although it remains to be seen whether Los Blancos have any intention of making a club record transfer for the youngster.
However, as the disappointing Champions League exit to Arsenal proved, there is a large Toni Kroos-shaped hole in Real’s midfield and there is perhaps no greater talent in world football capable of filling the team’s creative void to take them back to the top.
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Perez negligence could cost Real more than Florian Wirtz
Despite entering the second leg of the tie against Arsenal with a 3-0 deficit, Real’s Champions League campaign ended with a whimper as Ancelotti’s side could only muster an xG of 1.62 compared to their opponent’s 2.74, with just 0.11xG created in the first half.
It became immediately clear that Real’s midfield of Aurelien Tchouameni, Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde lacked a player with the ball-playing ability and dynacism of Kroos or veteran Luka Modric, who played just 16 minutes of the second leg.
Wirtz may be young but the Leverkusen star has proven his ability as a playmaker and a centrepiece for a league-winning side who could, at the very least, provide a creative option that Real severely lack outside of fringe players like Dani Ceballos or Brahim Diaz.
STATS
Florian Wirtz
AM (C)
Bayer 04
Florian Wirtz
AM (C)
Bayer 04
But the biggest doubt won’t be Wirtz’s talent – it will be convincing president Florentino Perez to splash out on an important signing instead of Real’s tried and tested method of making players run down their contract.
With Wirtz having two years remaining on his deal, Perez will undoubtedly be tempted to seduce the youngster into staying at Leverkusen and joining Real on a free in 2027, as he did with Kylian Mbappe and the incoming Trent Alexander-Arnold.
However, as FootballTransfers reporter Ronan Murphy revealed on The Transfers Podcast this week, Wirtz is unwilling to see Leverkusen lose out on a fee for his services and would likely renew his deal or move to another club instead of leaving on a free.
Perez’s preference for a bargain instead of addressing Real’s needs have undoubtedly caused the team to regress in the past year by failing to replace the important players like Kroos, Joselu and Nacho, all of whom left last summer.
Certainly any potential appointment of Alonso in Madrid will require some ambition shown to the Spanish coach with big money signings and it is possible that Real miss out on a generational talent both on the pitch and in the dugout unless Perez goes against tradition to bring Wirtz to the Bernabeu.
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