Premier League followers might want to examine up on the ‘genius’ that’s Florian Wirtz as hypothesis surrounding his future ramps up.
talkSPORT understands that Liverpool have held talks with the Bayer Leverkusen star’s household forward of a possible summer season transfer.
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Nevertheless, they face stern competitors from Bayern Munich and Manchester Metropolis.
Pep Guardiola is a large fan of the versatile attacker, whereas Bayern are assured he’ll depart Leverkusen for the Allianz.
If he have been to maneuver to the Premier League, it might be a British file switch charge of roughly £126 million.
The present Premier League file is Moises Caicedo from Brighton to Chelsea, however this could beat that, and there’s a good purpose why these three groups need Wirtz.
The German worldwide is the youngest in a household of 12, and he has 9 siblings, all of whom play soccer, besides Marie.
His sister, Juliane, performs skilled soccer for Werder Bremen, whereas his father, Hans-Joachim, is the chairman of Grun-Weiss Brauweiler.
The Wirtz household spent a lot time on the membership that they did not really feel the necessity to have a TV at house till Euro 2016.
As a substitute, they only watched soccer within the clubhouse.
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Wirtz joined Leverkusen in 2016 as a 16-year-old, rejecting the advances of Bayern and Hoffenheim.
It did not take him lengthy to make his debut as Peter Bosz threw Wirtz into the Bundesliga when he simply turned 17 in Might 2020.
Nevertheless, he wasn’t simply in demand on the pitch, because the then-teenager continued to juggle his college work alongside his soccer.
Seven months after his Bundesliga debut, Wirtz was ignored of Leverkusen’s squad for a 4-0 Europa League win over Slavia Prague as a consequence of an impending college examination.
“I’ve to confess that it’s exhausting managing each on the identical time. I do know that I’ve to strategy my research and soccer with the identical quantity of vitality, regardless that soccer comes a bit extra naturally to me. However I realise that I haven’t got a lot time left in my research and I can’t quit so near the top,” Wirtz mentioned in an interview with the German FA in 2021.
His absence wasn’t the primary time Leverkusen have needed to handle with out a promising younger participant in Europe due to college, with Kai Havertz sitting out a Champions League last-16 second leg towards Atlético Madrid for a similar purpose three years earlier.
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Wirtz beforehand advised Leverkusen’s official web site: “After all, Kai is a task mannequin. He gave me a number of good ideas, and I used to be capable of be taught lots above all in coaching. He was undoubtedly anyone I might look as much as.
“I used to be notably impressed along with his first contact with the ball, and it was higher than anyone else within the group.
“That enabled him to take just about each probability in entrance of objective, and he was capable of place himself completely to obtain good balls.”
Havertz’s switch to Chelsea, after which latterly Arsenal, opened the door for Wirtz to cement his spot because the membership’s new No.10.
He has gone on to make 196 senior appearances for Leverkusen, scoring 57 occasions and establishing an extra 65, which is greater than a objective contribution per two matches.
What makes these statistics much more spectacular is that in 2022, his profession suffered an enormous blow.
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Wirtz tore the ACL in his left knee, ruling him out for almost a yr, however hasn’t proven any lingering results of the problem that has ruined the careers of many elite stars.
Since getting back from that damage, he is helped Leverkusen win the Bundesliga and play within the Champions League, contributing massively to each.
Unsurprisingly, his supervisor, Xabi Alonso, is a large fan.
Talking after a surprising objective in December 2024 towards St Pauli, Alonso mentioned: “He’s a particular participant for us. We’re joyful that he is right here and offers us that further high quality.
“He has a high mentality, and I had nothing to do with the objective. That is his genius, his second.”
That mentality was put below pressure when he got here in for teasing from followers about his love for plain potatoes.
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In a video with the German nationwide group’s social media final yr, Wirtz was requested to rank sorts of potato dishes and ranked a plain baked potato as his first selection.
Talking to kicker, the attacker mentioned: I do not discover it entertaining. I and individuals who know me do not perceive why it went viral.
“I feel individuals made enjoyable of me just a little once I mentioned it. Nevertheless it’s not likely that unhealthy. I stand by it, I nonetheless like potatoes. However when individuals preserve shouting that at me from left and proper, I simply attempt to ignore it.
“It would not trouble me, however sooner or later, it will get to the purpose the place it isn’t that humorous anymore.”
What is not any laughing matter are the comparisons to England and Actual Madrid star Jude Bellingham.
Former West Ham and Chelsea ace Joe Cole believes the 2 have similarities.
Talking throughout Leverkusen’s Europa League run in the course of the 2023/24 season, he mentioned: I’ve watched him 3 times this yr now and he’s blown me away each time.
“He’s received a South American aptitude with a German effectivity about him. We’ve all heard of Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden, and Musiala.
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“This lad can be new to the British viewers. Let me let you know, he’s each bit as proficient as these gamers. He might go on to be something.”
On the worldwide stage, Wirtz is now a key a part of Julian Nagelsmann’s aspect.
The 22-year-old additionally made historical past at Euro 2024 for Germany.
His objective towards Scotland in a 5-1 win on opening night time made him the nation’s youngest goalscorer within the European Championship.
And you’ll see him occurring to make nicely over 100 worldwide appearances.
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One of many causes he’s so interesting to Liverpool, Metropolis and Bayern is his versatility.
All through his profession, he has performed on the fitting, left and down the center.
He primarily operates as a standard attacking midfielder, floating between the strains and entering into the field to offer the of entirety to strikes or the ultimate cross to unlock the door.
There is no such thing as a query that he would remodel any assault on the planet, and the race for his signature goes to be fierce.
