Bild reports that Bayern Munich are ready to go into debt as they try to sign Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz in the summer.
Bayern want to sign Wirtz this summer, and will do everything possible to make it happen. However, they will face competition from Manchester City, who are owned by a nation-state and are far wealthier, whilst also having an open spot in their squad with Kevin De Bruyne leaving in the summer.
Leverkusen will demand at least €150m for the 21-year-old, meaning every euro will count for Bayern in the summer. They hope to reduce their wage budget by 20% and that will raise around €100m. However, even this money may not be enough for Bayern, and they are open to taking out a loan to bring Wirtz to the Allianz Arena, which would previously be unheard of at Säbener Straße.
This story will drag on until a decision is made from Wirtz, according to the tabloid; his parents have told him to make a decision before the end of the season. This can also all be for nothing, and Wirtz ultimately decides to stay at Leverkusen for another season.
Be prepared for everyone in the media to constantly ask questions about Wirtz’s future, with everyone linked to Bayern saying he should move, and everyone else saying he should stay, including World Cup-winning head coach Joachim Löw. Jürgen Klopp will also probably be asked about Wirtz’s future eventually.
The right decision to pursue Wirtz?
Ultimately, Bayern being blinded by their pursuit of Wirtz may heavily impact their squad building in the summer. If they cannot offload players for substantial fees, then the squad will be very similar to this season, despite Bayern needing a backup to Harry Kane, a direct left-winger and a high-quality right-back; none of these will come cheap.
Considering Wirtz is only 21, Bayern could very well just cool their interest and sign Wirtz in five to six years time when he has played for the likes of Pep Guardiola or signed for Real Madrid, instead of him using Bayern as a stepping stone and being shoehorned around to fit Jamal Musiala and Harry Kane.
GGFN | Jack Meenan