Manchester City will compete with Real Madrid and Barcelona for the Bundesliga ace as a replacement for De Bruyne [xueting]

2025-02-26
Manchester City have reportedly joined the race to sign Barcelona and Real Madrid target Florian Welts. The Leverkusen midfielder is seen as a replacement for Kevin de Bruyne, who has just six months left on his current contract at the Etihad Stadium.
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Often regarded as one of the most promising young players in football today, Florian Wertz became an integral part of Leverkusen's squad last season (2023-24).
The German player was part of the club's unbeaten run to the Bundesliga and German Cup titles last season and helped them reach the Europa League final. This season, he has contributed 15 goals and 13 assists in 36 games in all competitions.
A number of European giants have reportedly been chasing Welts since his breakthrough 2023-24 season. Those clubs include Barcelona and Real Madrid, both of whom would benefit from signing a midfielder with Welts's all-round skills.

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According to the Mirror, Manchester City will be pitted against Real Madrid and Barcelona in the race to bring in Florian Welts. Blue Moon (Manchester City) see him as an ideal replacement for the departing Kevin de Bruyne. Welts' versatility could help Pep Guardiola revamp his squad after a disappointing run of form this season.

Reports suggest that a swap deal could benefit both Manchester City and Bayer Leverkusen, who are interested in signing James McCarty. According to reports, a move to the Bundesliga could be exciting for McCarty as he has more chances of getting playing time there than at City.

However, Real Madrid and Barcelona are expected to remain in the race to bring in Virts. Although Barcelona's financial situation could pose problems for such a deal, the German player could also fit well into Hans Flick's tactical system at Barcelona.

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Real, meanwhile, have been suffering from a lack of depth in midfield since the departure of Toni Kroos. The arrival of Wirtz may add more creativity to the team.

In addition, according to World Sport, Real Madrid have asked Barcelona Supernova Lamine Yamal's agent Jorge Mendes about his future at the club. However, Mendes played down the inquiries as he knows Yamal does not want to leave the Catalan club to join their league rivals.

The report also states that a number of Premier League clubs have been monitoring Lamine Yamal's situation, including Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool. French giants Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are also among the clubs interested and believe they can lure the 17-year-old with a contract offer too lucrative to refuse.

However, Barcelona are reportedly not interested in listening to offers for Lamine Yamal. The Catalan club see him as an integral part of the club's future and plan to extend Yamal's contract until June 2030 when he turns 18 this year. The New Deal will also reportedly see Yamal's salary increase significantly.

 

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