Florian Wirtz occupies a rare position within the landscape of European football.
The 21-year-old is a clear future star, the subject of interest from Real Madrid and valued at in excess of €100 million.
Yet despite his tender years and sky-high potential, he is an established star in his homeland and, thanks to his lead role in Bayer Leverkusen’s unbeaten Bundesliga triumph in the 2023-24 season, he has already etched his name in history.
Elegant and ruthless, creative and clinical, Wirtz is the prototype for the modern attacking midfielder – equal parts craftsmen and artist, with the adaptability to shine in a variety of roles and environments.
It’s little wonder his signature is so coveted.
Born in Pulheim, just outside Cologne, Wirtz ed Bayer Leverkusen’s youth set-up in 2020 after a controversial switch from Cologne, where he had earned a reputation as a prodigy of serious note.
At 17, he began to deliver on his vast potential, becoming the youngest Bundesliga starter in Leverkusen’s history.
Remarking on his early displays with the senior side, then-Leverkusen coach Peter Bosz called Wirtz “one of the most naturally gifted players I’ve ever seen at this age.”
Four years on, those natural gifts are about to make Wirtz the most expensive player in German football history.
Whoever wins the race to land Wirtz this summer – with his departure from the BayerArena appearing a near certainty at this point – will be acquiring not just potential but also vast productivity.
If reports on Friday are to be believed, that winning club appears to be Liverpool.
In 32 league appearances for Xabi Alonso’s side last season, he tallied 11 goals, 11 assists and the Bundesliga Player of the Year award.
It was the fact that they not only toppled Bayern from the Bundesliga throne but did so without tasting defeat that marked out a campaign of unique historical accomplishment for Alonso’s Leverkusen outfit.
But just as impressive was the style in which they did it. And no player better embodied that style – the flair, the graft – than Wirtz.
Whether drifting between the lines or breaking on the counter, he was the attacking architect of a team who plundered 89 goals in 34 games that season.
"His control, his dribbling. It's not easy to do that in a tight space,” Alonso raved of the young forward after a stunning solo goal against St Pauli in December.
"He is a special player for us. We're happy that he's here and gives us that extra quality.
“He has a top mentality and I had nothing to do with the goal. That's his genius, his moment.”
The defining moment of Wirtz’s 2023/24 season came in the title-clinching 5–0 demolition of Werder Bremen.
With the world watching, the 29-cap international scored a hat-trick, including a dazzling individual effort that saw him glide past two defenders in what has become his customary fashion before chipping the on-rushing keeper with unnerving cool.
At his core, Wirtz is a playmaker, but pigeonholing him into a single position does a disservice to his range. He can play as a No. 10 or an inverted winger; wide in a 4-3-3 or – as has been the case at Leverkusen under Alonso – tucked inside in a 3-4-3.
His low centre of gravity and rapid acceleration make him slippery in tight spaces, while his spatial awareness allows him to drift into pockets of danger undetected.
He ranks in the 96th percentile for expected assists (xA) across Europe’s top five leagues and is among the leaders in shot-creating actions per 90.
His skill and close control is often breath-taking, but he doesn’t deploy flair for the sake of aesthetics – every feint, every flick has a purpose: to open space or pierce a defence.
"He's simply an outstanding technician, loves to play, is very creative, has a good shot, runs hard and is quick,” said former coach and current Barcelona boss Hansi Flick. “He's the full package."
With the summer transfer window looming, Europe’s super-clubs are circling like hawks. Liverpool, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have all ed interest – although previous reports claim City are backing out of the Wirtz stakes due to the estimated cost of his capture – each envisioning a different but tantalising role for the young German.
At Liverpool, Wirtz’s most natural role would be on the left side of Arne Slot’s 4-3-3, where he’d represent a qualitative upgrade over the likes of Mohamed Salah – the creator in service of the deadly scorer.
At City, Pep Guardiola reportedly sees Wirtz as a long-term successor to Kevin De Bruyne. His ability to operate in congested areas and connect midfield and attack could see him solve the riddle of the Belgian’s impending absence.
Real Madrid are supposedly preparing for a swoop for an as yet unnamed Galactico target this summer. Pulling off a big-money move for the most wanted player in Europe would be exactly the kind of splash Los Blancos enjoy making in the transfer market.
With Kylian Mbappe.
Bayern Munich, meanwhile, rarely let a domestic jewel escape. Weakening a Bundesliga rival while boosting their own already-talent-rich squad has been their modus operandi for decades now.
History alone suggests they remain his most likely destination.
The coming weeks will see the tug-of-war for one of Europe’s top talents continue, with the eventual victors likely to pay an astronomical cost.
But unlike so many young superstars in the making who emerge rapidly to command eye-watering fees, Wirtz has long since proved his credentials as an elite player of the present, not just the future.
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