How Florian Wirtz Transfer Saga Could Play Into City’s Hands Amid Bayern ‘Talks’

Manchester City want to sign Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz. So do Bayern Munich.

In a normal summer, football’s most in-demand stars will take their time before deciding on their next destination.

They will go on holiday, switch off, and then return to assess their options. Time is a useful negotiating tactic from a player’s perspective and stock can rise without kicking a ball. Alternatively, time can allow a player to shine in a summer tournament and their value rockets in the short break before the start of the new campaign.

2025 is not a normal summer, however. For the first time a huge new club tournament in June and July will rip up the normal conventions of the transfer market – FIFA have already changed long-established contract rules and opened a temporary transfer window to allow changes to squads in time for the Club World Cup.

That means clubs like Manchester City must decide whether to do business before going to the US to defend their world title, or after – without a pre-season.

Take Florian Wirtz, for example. The FIFA rule changes mean City could theoretically sign Wirtz, register him before the tournament, and use the games in the USA to blood their new signing and give him valuable training time under Pep Guardiola. If he is going to sign, he would be a huge asset to the Club World Cup bid.

Bayern Munich have the same idea, however, with reports in Germany this week suggesting they have opened talks with Bayer Leverkusen over the in-demand midfielder. And Leverkusen haven’t given up hope of keeping their star man.

City are in the race to sign Wirtz and hope to win that particular battle. Real Madrid may also become more relevant if and when Xabi Alonso is confirmed as their new manager. All three contenders are in the Club World Cup – so maybe Wirtz will be in the USA one way or another.

The obvious priority for City will be to sign Wirtz and secure their Kevin De Bruyne replacement before flying out to the States. City like doing their big business early in transfer windows such as when they quietly announced Erling Haaland before the 2022 window even opened.

On the few occasions they have waited to sign a top target, it has been a calculated move – Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol come to mind. They may not get that luxury with Wirtz, who seemingly has his pick of the top Club World Cup contenders.

If City win the race, they have a world-class talent on their hands to boost their world title chances. If they don’t, they have time to switch attention to other targets without having to rush later in the summer.

It is a transfer ‘saga’ that will benefit everybody if it doesn’t drag on.

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