Bayern Munich are 'targeting £68m Premier League star as Florian Wirtz alternative' after reports Liverpool lead race for £126m attacking midfielder

The German giants are believed to have lost out on Florian Wirtz to Liverpool

Bayern Munich are targeting Eberechi Eze this summer, according to a report

Bayern Munich are lining up a move for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze, as per a report.

The Bundesliga giants have admitted defeat in their pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz, with the £126million attacking midfielder looking Liverpool-bound.

Reports in Germany revealed on Saturday that Wirtz informed Bayern chiefs of his desire to play for the Merseyside club, as he is keen on a new challenge outside of Germany after spending five years in Leverkusen's first team.

Indeed, Bayern have turned their attention to alternatives, with Eze next on their list of transfer hopefuls.

Clubs are expected to be able to activate the 26-year-old's release clause at the end of the season, which is believed to be worth £60m, plus an additional £8m in potential add-ons, according to The Mirror.

Bayern's relations with Palace are thought to be strong after the two clubs agreed on a £50.8m deal for Michael Olise last summer - who is also a close friend of Eze.

Bayern Munich are targeting £68m Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze, according to a report

Multiple reports have claimed the German giants missed out on primary target Florian Wirtz

Instead, Liverpool are believed to be the frontrunners to land the £126m Bayer Leverkusen star

As well as Eze, Bayern are also believed to be monitoring Brighton's Kaoru Mitoma and AC Milan's Raphael Leao.

Palace are keen on holding on to Eze, who was the hero in their FA Cup final win over Manchester City this month, netting the only goal in the 1-0 win.

After bouncing between multiple English football academies, Eze made his senior debut for QPR in 2016.

A loan spell between 2017 and 2018 at Wycombe Wanderers sandwiched the four years he spent with the west London club, before he moved to Palace at the start of this decade.

Since his arrival at the club, Eze has made 165 appearances for the Eagles, scoring 39 goals in that time.

The attacking midfielder made his senior debut for England in 2023, and was part of Gareth Southgate's Three Lions squad that made it to the Euro 2024 final last year.

Having signed a three-and-a-half-year extension with Palace in 2023, Eze's contract expires in summer 2027, putting the south London in a relatively strong position when it comes to negotiating his fee.

Click here to read article