Bayer Leverkusen starlet Florian Wirtz, who has been described as the heir to Kai Havertz, has flirted with Barcelona once again.
Wirtz, 18, has established himself as a key figure for Bayer Leverkusen this campaign, making 35 appearances and scoring seven goals in all competitions.
The Bundesliga have described him as “a Little Prince more than ready to ascend to King Kai’s throne”, with the pair thought to be “on an alarmingly similar trajectory”.
It’s easy to see why those comparisons are being drawn, too.
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Havertz sealed a £71M (as per the BBC) move to Premier League giants Chelsea. Wirtz’s next step beyond Leverkusen is yet to be determined.
If the player were to have his pick of the clubs, though, it may well be Barcelona. Earlier in the season, SPORT quoted the teen revealing he dreams of playing for the Catalan heavyweights.
“When I was a kid I always wanted to play at Barca,” Wirtz revealed. “Nothing has changed in that sense but until then I still have some time.”
Barcelona already have a talented pool of young players – the likes of Ansu Fati, Pedri, Sergino Dest, Ronald Araujo and Ilaix Moriba – but there’s always room for one more.
Whether or not Barca have any interest in signing Wirtz remains to be seen, but the 18-year-old has once again expressed his liking for the club, naming Lionel Messi as his greatest of all-time.
And while speaking to the Bayer Leverkusen media team…
Best player of all time?
Fave player to watch?Florian Wirtz answers some of your fan questions! pic.twitter.com/ndy1FxLKOv
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) May 17, 2021
Messi’s Barcelona contract is due to expire at the end of June, so if Wirtz wants to have any chance of playing alongside the Argentine icon, he ought to jump on the next flight.
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