Manchester City Eye Kevin De Bruyne Replacement

Manchester City have potentially found their Kevin de Bruyne replacement.

With the Belgian confirmed to be leaving the Etihad at the end of the season, they now face the daunting task of replacing the two-time Premier League Player of the Year. But, they won’t be the only team vying for the young German’s signature. According to Bild, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are both preparing ‘ambitious’ financial packages to lure Wirtz to their club.

The young midfielder has been heavily rumored to depart from Bayer Leverkusen since last season, when the German club won the Bundesliga for the first time in their 120-year history. Wirtz was the driving force behind much of their offensive firepower, recording 22 goals + assists during their title-winning year. He has continued his good form into this season, leading the assist charts with 10.

Wirtz has a contract agreement with Leverkusen until 2027 and reportedly has a 125 million euros release clause. Should he remain at Leverkusen, there are rumors the club would be open to selling him for a minimum of 150 million euros.

Whether Man City is Wirtz’s preferred destination or not remains to be seen. According to the Bild report, Leverkusen also hasn’t called it quits on extending Wirtz for at least another season, with the hope that if his preferred move doesn’t materialize, he would remain at the club until it does.

It will be interesting to see what comes next for de Bruyne. Longstanding rumors of an MLS move may be more likely than not, with football insider Fabrizio Romano saying that the Chicago Fire has made contact with him, and newly formed San Diego FC is also in the mix.