Latest Man City news and gossip as a big claim emerges from Spain about the future of Florian Wirtz.
Manchester City have seemingly lost ground in the race for Florian Wirtz - as Real Madrid have reportedly moved into pole position to complete a £127m transfer in the summer of 2025.
As one of the youthful stand-out stars of Bayer Leverkusen's invincible Bundesliga title-winning campaign and now baying for Euro 2024 success on home soil, German talent Wirtz has been said to attract suitors from across the continent. City have been floated as one potential destination from numerous sources, although the latest update is not good news for the Blues.
According to Marca, there are two agreements in place that pave the way for the 21-year-old to complete a switch from the BayArena to the Santiago Bernabeu - not the Etihad Stadium - in a year's time.
The first accord is between the player, his representatives and his current club, Leverkusen. This is to ensure he remains with the German champions until the end of the upcoming 2024/25 campaign.
The second is also a verbal one with Real Madrid, agreeing personal terms in order to complete the move to Spain in 2025. They claim that money will be no object for Los Blancos chief Florentino Perez, as the deal could reach as high as €150m (£127m).
This follows on from a recent report in Germany detailing Real Madrid's interest, in which it was stated the playmaker and manager Xabi Alonso are being lined up for moves to the Champions League holders in the same summer. Alonso, who was heavily linked with the Liverpool job once Jurgen Klopp announced he was stepping down, has also been mentioned as a potential successor to Pep Guardiola at City.
Guardiola only has one year left on his contract and has hinted that he will leave the club next summer when it expires.