‘I’m told…’ – Romano drops update on Manchester City-linked £87m wizard who Liverpool also crave

Fabrizio Romano has shared his latest information on Manchester City-linked midfielder Florian Wirtz.

The Citizens are among several top clubs from around Europe who are believed to be tracking the 20-year-old, for whom Bayer Leverkusen are set to demand at least €100m (£87.2m).

Liverpool are also believed to be eyeing a possible move for the youngster, but the Italian transfer reporter expects the Germany international’s plethora of suitors to be disappointed in the short-term.

In his latest Daily Briefing for CaughtOffside, Romano wrote: “Contrary to other reports, I’m told there’s still no asking price and nothing decided on Wirtz. He’s very focused on Leverkusen, they are flying now and nothing is happening.

“I don’t see them selling Florian in January, he’s a key player for Xabi Alonso, so my expectation is for Wirtz to stay at the club in January.”

With six goals and nine assists in 16 games this season across all competitions, Wirtz has been a major factor in Leverkusen’s ascent to the top of the Bundesliga (Transfermarkt).

He can play anywhere across the forward line (Transfermarkt) and in the number 10 position, but his primary position is as a forward. As such, Pep Guardiola will have a lot of options when it comes to how to best incorporate him into Man City’s lineup.

The Leverkusen star looks set to stay in Germany at least until the summer of 2020, but in the interim, we should expect to see a lot of talk about him in Manchester City transfer reports, especially if he can continue to be a major contributor to Xabi Alonso’s team’s Bundesliga title defense.