In the Champions League, Bayer Leverkusen takes on AC Milan on Tuesday, and they’re expecting star midfielder Florian Wirtz to put on a spectacular show. Wirtz, who is still only 21 years old, will play in the competition for the first time at home after missing Leverkusen’s most recent Champions League campaign due to an ACL injury.
It seems right that he would take on Milan, the seven-time winner, as a player predicted to have a lengthy career in Europe.
Wirtz’s talent is undeniable
Although Xabi Alonso’s coaching is duly commended and Leverkusen’s roster is full of talented players, Wirtz’s spark is essential to everything the team does. Wirtz, who has four goals in five league games this season, is a scoring danger while being best known for his inventiveness in the midfield.
Granit Xhaka, Victor Boniface, Patrik Schick, Alex Grimaldo, and Exequiel Palacios are among the players on Leverkusen’s roster that trust Wirtz enough to be their go-to penalty taker.
Even though Wirtz was instrumental in Leverkusen’s breakthrough to their first Bundesliga victory, he still has plenty to prove in European competition despite his obvious skill.
Leverkusen suffered their lone defeat in 53 games when Atalanta defeated them 3-0 in the Europa League final the previous year. He was outmuscled.
In the 1-1 Bundesliga match on Saturday, Bayern Munich used a similar strategy, effectively stifling Leverkusen’s inventiveness by closely guarding the standout midfield player. When Wirtz is able to escape the intense scrutiny, he is one of the game’s most deadly players.
Wirtz made his Champions League debut for Leverkusen against Feyenoord, when he scored twice in the first half of a commanding 4-0 victory.
Alonso stated in a statement on Friday that it was the team’s duty to release “the best Flo.” He said “We need the whole team on their best level to allow Flo to shine.”
“We want to keep Florian Wirtz with us for as long as possible”
Rumors have already connected Wirtz, who has a contract until 2027, with an exit from the club possibly as early as next summer, as would be expected for a youngster at a club of Leverkusen’s caliber. Executive Chairman Fernando Carro of Leverkusen stated earlier in 2024 that he would “never let Wirtz go for less than 150 million euros ($167 million)”.
He later added “We want to keep Florian Wirtz with us for as long as possible… he doesn’t have a price tag.”
In addition to German powerhouse Bayern, reports suggest that Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Arsenal are all interested in signing Wirtz. The midfielder has long been admired by Bayern, who hope to see him start next to fellow German player Jamal Musiala as they succeed internationally. Manuel Neuer, the captain and goalkeeper for Bayern Munich, grinned broadly and told Sky Germany that he would “prefer to play with both together in the same team.”
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