Bayer Leverkusen and Florian Wirtz in talks over him staying at the club – will still try to sign a replacement whether he stays or not

kicker reports that Bayer Leverkusen and Florian Wirtz are in talks over the 21-year-old potentially staying at the club beyond the summer. 

Wirtz has been linked to moves to both Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in recent months as his future at the BayArena is up in the air. However, there is a possibility that he could stay at Leverkusen despite this interest.

The club and Wirtz are said to be in positive discussions over the 21-year-old staying at the BayArena beyond the summer and even potentially signing a contract extension at Leverkusen.

However, regardless of if Wirtz stays at the BayArena or not, Leverkusen will look to sign his successor in the summer. VfB Stuttgart’s Enzo Millot is a potential candidate to replace Wirtz. The pair are said to have similar profiles and the Frenchman also has a release clause worth €20m.

In previous weeks, Ibrahim Maza of Hertha Berlin and Paul Wanner on loan at Heidenheim from Bayern Munich have also been touted as potential replacements. With Lyon’s financial woes, Rayan Cherki was also mentioned as a more immediate option. 

Leverkusen had previously tried to address this issue last winter when they offered Rennes €20m for Desire Doue, but he ended up staying in Brittany. 

GGFN | Jack Meenan