Real Madrid believes they will beat Barcelona to sign Florian Wirtz if the young German midfielder decides to leave Bayer Leverkusen, a report claims. Wirtz, one of the most sought-after prospects in world football after an outstanding 2023/24 season, helped Leverkusen achieve an historic unbeaten double in the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal, with their only defeat coming in the Europa League final against Atalanta. He scored 18 goals and provided 20 assists across all competitions.

The 21-year-old also emerged as a star for Germany, guiding them to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals before their loss to Spain, scoring both his country’s first and last goals in the tournament. It is understood that Wirtz intends to depart Leverkusen, although he is expected to remain in Germany for at least another season.

Catalan newspaper SPORT reports that Barcelona are keen to secure Wirtz’s signature, despite facing financial challenges that could complicate the deal significantly.

Therefore, leaders at Santiago Bernabeu believe Madrid are in a favorable position to bring him in as a replacement. The club has a good relationship with Leverkusen, and he would become their third major transfer target in the next 12 months, alongside Lille’s Leny Yoro and Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies. Leverkusen’s CEO Fernando Carro has long maintained that he will not entertain offers below €150 million for Wirtz.

In the short term, 90min reports that Barcelona are also eager to acquire Wirtz’s Leverkusen teammate Jeremie Frimpong, but they face competition from Manchester City and Manchester United for his signature.