‘Man City in pole position to sign Florian Wirtz after meeting Pep Guardiola’
Man City are working hard behind the scenes to bring in a replacement for Kevin de Bruyne and have identified Florian Wirtz as their top target.
The Bayer Leverkusen star has been heavily linked with a move away this summer, with City having joined the likes of Bayern Munich and Liverpool in the race.
Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson has now told Football Insider that City are in “pole position” to sign Wirtz after a meeting with Pep Guardiola.
The 22-year-old is believed to be in Manchester this week for talks, and he will be shown around the facilities and behind-the-scenes at City.
At this stage, there is confidence that it will be difficult to turn down the move.
This comes after former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider in March that Man City had held talks with Wirtz’s representatives over a possible deal.
Man City pushing to agree Florian Wirtz deal after new meeting
Football Insider revealed last month that Wirtz is Man City’s top target to replace De Bruyne this summer, but Bayern Munich were leading the race.
Meanwhile, Brown told Football Insider that City are hell-bent on signing Wirtz and will do all they can to beat the German champions to his signature.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Robinson explained that City have now moved ahead of Bayern and are growing in confidence that a deal can be done after meeting with the midfielder.
“He’s in Manchester this week,” he told Football Insider.
“As we speak, he’s in Manchester, they’ve been given permission to speak to him.
“Once a player goes somewhere like Man City, they see the set-up, they see the academy, they meet with Pep Guardiola and they see behind the scenes, it’s hard to turn them down.
“Wirtz will fit into that Man City side along with all the other signings and their recruitment in January.
“Look at the average age of that City team now and they’re certainly going the right way.
“I would put them ahead of Bayern Munich in the race, simply because he’s there talking to Man City.
“Once Man City get a deal that far down the line, they won’t let him slip through their fingers.
“I can’t imagine him turning them down.”
Eberechi Eze deal lined up ahead of FA Cup final v Crystal Palace
Wirtz is not the only midfield target City are set to pursue this summer, with Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze also a name high on their list.
Football Insider exclusively revealed that City could submit a bid for Eze immediately after the FA Cup final on Saturday 17 May, with the game seen as an “audition”.
The attacking midfielder has a £68million release clause in his contract which will become active this summer, sparking interest from a number of clubs.
Meanwhile, Football Insider revealed on 16 May that Palace could accept “low” offers for Eze and will not stand in his way if he wants to leave Selhurst Park.
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