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Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro has insisted Florian Wirtz won't be sold amid interest from several European giants including Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Wirtz is one of Europe's most in-demand youngsters having flourished under Xabi Alonso at BayArena. The 16-cap Germany international has registered an astounding 17 goals and 19 assists in 43 games across competitions for the Bundesliga champions.
Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Manchester City are all keeping tabs on Wirtz amid his stellar campaign. Carro previously named his price for the German playmaker who has three years left on his contract at €150 million
However, Carro has backtracked over that stance and warned interested clubs that the player isn't for sale. He said (via transfer expert Fabrizio Romano):
"I made a mistake when I said there's a price tag for Florian Wirtz around €150m. In fact, he has no price tag for us."
Barcelona have endured financial issues for several years and a €150 million valuation would likely have been offputting. The Catalans have rebuilt their squad using their esteemed La Masia academy.
Real Madrid could afford such a deal and they are already set to bolster their attack this summer. Kylian Mbappe is heavily expected to arrive as a free agent after his contract with PSG expires.
Wirtz finished 10th in the 2023 Golden Boy rankings and his stock continues to grow. He's expected to be the poster boy for Germany at this summer's European Championships in his homeland.
Who is Barcelona and Real Madrid target Florian Wirtz's idol?
Barcelona icon Lionel Messi and Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo are often youngsters' childhood idols. The heroic duo dominated Spanish football over the past two decades during the height of the El Clasico rivalry.
However, Wirtz's childhood hero is neither Messi, 36, nor Ronaldo, 39, as the German is a fan of Barca loanee Joao Felix. Leverkusen's attacker spoke glowingly about the Portuguese ace and why he looked up to him:
"I like Joao Felix. He's a similar type of player to me, he's very creative and I learnt that from him."
Felix, 24, was viewed as one of Europe's brightest talents during his time at Primeira Liga side Benfica. He lit up Portuguese football with 20 goals and 12 assists in 43 games at the Estadio da Luz, winning the Golden Boy award in 2019.
The Portugal international earned a €127.2 million move to Atletico Madrid in July 2019. He struggled to replicate his Benfica performances and fell out of favor with Atleti manager Diego Simeone.
Felix joined Barcelona on loan last summer and he's back to his best with the Catalans. He's registered 10 goals and six assists in 39 games across competitions.
