Real Madrid to dash Barcelona’s hopes by securing a €100m signing of top player, following interest from Liverpool.
Real Madrid are reportedly preparing to bolster their squad further with the high-profile signing of German star Florian Wirtz in 2025, which would leave Barcelona and Liverpool disappointed.
Wirtz emerged as one of Europe’s top young attacking midfielders before suffering a severe ACL injury in March 2022, raising concerns about his future development. However, he had an outstanding season with Bayer Leverkusen, scoring 18 goals and providing 20 assists in 49 games, helping them win their first Bundesliga title and the German Cup, though they lost the Europa League final to Atalanta.
Despite being only 21, Wirtz was voted Bundesliga Player of the Season for his crucial role in Leverkusen’s success. His father has confirmed that Wirtz will stay with Leverkusen next season to defend their titles and pursue European success. Nevertheless, there will be intense competition for his signature in the summer of 2025.
Barcelona’s sporting director Deco has made Wirtz his top target to revive the club’s fortunes, a move that would please new manager Hansi Flick, who previously coached Wirtz with the German national team. However, recent reports from Spain suggest Barcelona may miss out on Wirtz, as Real Madrid are keen to sign him first.
Despite already having young talents like Jude Bellingham, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Eduardo Camavinga, Madrid sees Wirtz as essential for replacing Toni Kroos. Madrid president Florentino Perez has earmarked €100 million for Wirtz’s transfer in 2025. There’s also talk of a potential double acquisition of both Wirtz and Leverkusen’s manager Xabi Alonso, although the timing must align since Carlo Ancelotti’s contract runs until 2026.
Liverpool, heavily linked with Wirtz, face stiff competition from Madrid, as seen with the transfers of Bellingham and Tchouameni. With the recent free transfer of Kylian Mbappe to Madrid, the club is positioning itself for another major signing with Wirtz, raising questions about how other teams can compete in the Champions League.