“He’s very creative and I learnt that from him” Bayer Leverkusen wonderkid Florian Wirtz names Barcelona star as his childhood idol 

Bayer Leverkusen's rising star Florian Wirtz has reaffirmed that his idol is Barcelona attacker Joao Felix.

Wirtz, 20, holds Felix, 24, in high regard and has continuously spoken of his admiration for the Barca forward. The Germany international lavished praise on the Portuguese in three separate clips uploaded by a TikTok user.

The Leverkusen attacker alluded to Felix boasting a similar playing style to himself:

"I like Joao Felix. He's a similar type of player to me, he's very creative and I learnt that from him."

Felix was tipped to become a world-beater while at Liga Portugal giants Benfica. He bagged 20 goals and 11 assists in 43 games across competitions, winning the 2019 Golden Boy Award.

The silky attacker's excellent displays in Portugal earned him a €127.2 million move to La Liga giants Atletico Madrid in 2019. Cristiano Ronaldo backed him to become a future superstar in Spain.

However, Felix somewhat failed to live up to expectations at the Wanda Metropolitano. He fell out of favor with Atletico manager Diego Simeone and joined Barcelona on loan last summer.

Felix has been a real asset for Xavi this season, registering nine goals and five assists in 34 games across competitions. He even netted the winner in a 1-0 home win against his parent club in December and scored in a 3-0 away victory against Simeone's side (March 17).

Wirtz is following in his idol's footsteps amid a stellar 2023-24 campaign. He's being linked with several European giants including Barca, having bagged 11 goals and 17 assists in 36 games across competitions.

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Leverkusen's Wirtz reportedly wants to join Barcelona but the La Liga giants can't afford him

Barcelona president Joan Laporta may struggle to sanction a deal for Florian Wirtz.

Wirtz could link up with Felix at Camp Nou if he gets his way this summer. The German youngster appears to have his sights set on a move to Barcelona.

Reports claim that Wirtz is willing to join Barca but the Catalan giants can't afford him. Transfermarkt values him at €100 million which is too expensive for the Blaugrana who are enduring financial trouble.

Thus, Wirtz has started negotiating with Barcelona's rivals Madrid, and reigning European champions Manchester City. He has three years left on his contract at the BayArena but could be set for a big-money move this summer.

The Blaugrana may be keen to bolster their attack amid a topsy-turvy ongoing season. They'll be without Xavi as the Spanish coach will leave his role at the end of the season.

Barca will also need to make a decision over Felix's future as his loan expires at the end of the season. He wants to stay at Camp Nou and they'll need to come to an agreement with Atletico.