Liverpool, Man City barged aside as Ratcliffe greenlights sensational record-breaking deal for Bundesliga sensation

Manchester United have been touted as a leading contender to seal the game-changing signing of Florian Wirtz – but a respected German journalist has admitted the most “concrete interest” has come from Manchester City, while Bayer Leverkusen’s stance on his sale has also come to light.

The Red Devils spent over £180m on new players during Ratcliffe’s first summer in charge, with Matthijs de Light, Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, Noussair Mazraoui and Manuel Ugarte all arriving at Old Trafford. Despite the sizeable investment, Manchester United continue to struggle and go into Saturday’s crucial home match against Brentford way down in 14th place.

While question marks have already been raised over the wisdom of those signings – Paul Scholes has questioned what Zirkzee brings, while Marco van Basten has hit out at the fee paid to Ugarte – it seems the quintet are only phase one of their rebuilding process.

Now according to trusted Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, United are gearing up for a significant 2025 transfer battle with several Premier League rivals including Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City for Leverkusen star Wirtz.

Detailing why Leverkusen still hope to extend the 21-year-old’s deal, Plettenberg, writing on X, is adamant the Bundesliga giants would rather sell abroad than strengthen a rival in Bayern Munich.

‘Bayer Leverkusen’s ideal scenario is to convince Florian Wirtz to sign a new contract,’ Plettenberg began. ‘His current contract runs until 2027. If the 21y/o wants to leave next summer, Leverkusen are determined to sell him abroad and not to FC Bayern.

‘So far, Man City’s interest is the most concrete. Also interested: Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester United. Real Madrid is also in the race, but Leverkusen currently consider a move to the Spanish giants next summer to be unrealistic.’

READ MORE: Ten Hag questioned again as Paul Scholes goes to town on Man Utd ‘recruitment mess’

How much would Florian Wirtz cost and what has been said about his next move?

Any move to bring Wirtz to Old Trafford would be seen as revolutionary, with the playmaker regarded as one of the best young talents in the world game and having scored 47 goals and added 51 assists from just 162 appearances so far.

With a goal contribution every 1.65 outings, it is easy to see why some of Europe’s top clubs are scrambling over themselves to try and bring in Wirtz next summer.

His deal at Leverkusen does not expire until 2027 but there is a feeling in the German media that they will cash in on him next summer if he does not extend his stay and to ensure they maximise his value.

There is currently no exit clause in his deal at the BayArena and it’s claimed the Bundesliga champions value the 27-times capped star in the €120m (£100m, $130.5m), meaning any transfer would set United back a club-record fee.

However, United would need to pull off something pretty spectacular to persuade the 21-year-old to move to Old Trafford, especially if they miss out on the Champions League football once again next season.

Despite that, it’s reported it will not stop sporting director Dan Ashworth from at least trying, while Ratcliffe is a huge admirer of the player, believing his signing could prove transformative for the club.

And beating both City and Bayern to his signing would also prove a tall order. Sources have confirmed to us that the Cityzens are among those keen as they seek a long-term heir to one of their greatest-ever players Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian is a free agent next summer and is yet to commit to a new deal at the Etihad amid reports linking him with a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia.

Sky Germany, meanwhile, is convinced a move to Bayern could also be a strong possibility in 2025.

Leverkusen’s sporting director Simon Rolfes, meanwhile, has told Sky Germany that his side are not giving any thought to his sale next summer right now.

“Florian is an incredibly important player for us. There has been a lot of speculation, but internally – and I’ve stressed this many times – the dialogue with him and his family is very open and based on trust,” he stressed.

“The focus has always been on what’s good for his development at Bayer 04, so we’re not really worried about whether he’ll be sold or not. He is here! We want to work with him, use his qualities here and be successful with him.”

Latest Man Utd transfer news: Antony told to ‘go home’ / Hjulmand advice

Meanwhile, United’s current second most costly signing of all time, Antony, has been to ‘go home’ to Ajax after being told mercilessly by Paul Parker that he is just not good enough or cut out to succeed in the Premier League.

The Brazilian has been linked with Crystal Palace and Newcastle in recent days, amid an understanding that United’s new regime ranks the player as one of the worst signings in their history.

On the incomings front, the Red Devils have been advised to stump up the €80m clause needed to prise Morten Hjulmand out of Sporting Lisbon, with one former Premier League goalkeeper making clear why he believes the star would be a smash hit in the Premier League.

Whether Erik ten Hag will be around to oversee future recruitment remains to be seen, with his position at Old Trafford very much seen as perilous and amid claims the United board have sounded out a 41-year-old German coach as his prospective replacement.

Florian Wirtz’s impressive career stats

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