Man City identify Bundesliga star as Kevin De Bruyne successor

Manchester City have set their sights on Florian Wirtz as the potential successor to Kevin De Bruyne, with the Premier League champions prepared to break the £100million barrier to secure the Bayer Leverkusen prodigy.

Man City’s decision not to offer De Bruyne a contract extension is based on their belief that they can lure Wirtz away from the Bundesliga side this summer.

Hugo Viana, City’s new director of football, will spearhead the move and is expected to have ample funds to convince Leverkusen to part with their star player.

The club’s previous willingness to meet Aston Villa’s £100million release clause for Jack Grealish nearly five years ago demonstrates their readiness to splash the cash again, this time to acquire the 21-year-old, according to the Mirror.

Wirtz, who currently earns £73,000 a week, will be offered a significant pay rise should the deal go through.

Viana, who will replace Txiki Begiristain at the end of the season, comes in with the task of revitalizing the squad, having been recruited from Sporting Lisbon to help guide the club through a busy summer transfer window.

Man City are prepared to invest heavily in reshaping Guardiola’s team, having already spent over £170million on three new players during the winter transfer window.

Wirtz is their primary target, with the club choosing not to extend De Bruyne’s contract in order to funnel resources into the pursuit of the talented playmaker.

Wirtz, who has two years left on his contract with Leverkusen helped the club win the Bundesliga title last season

Although Wirtz has two years left on his contract with Leverkusen, the club is keen to convince him to sign a new deal amid growing interest from both City and Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.

Leverkusen have reportedly proposed a two-year extension until 2028, but Wirtz’s representatives are pushing for a release clause of £85million to take effect after next year’s World Cup.

In contrast, Leverkusen are aiming to set the clause at over £125million.

Man City believe that Leverkusen, under the management of Xabi Alonso, may be more inclined to let their star player leave for the right offer.

However, whether Wirtz would be willing to take the risk of leaving Germany before the World Cup could prove to be a key factor in negotiations.