Man City ‘go crazy’ after Guardiola news as they prepare to match transfer record for Germany star

Joe Williams
Man City transfer target Florian Wirtz
Florian Wirtz is reportedly a transfer target for Man City.

Man City have taken the lead in the race to sign Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz, according to reports.

The Citizens had made a good start to the new Premier League season with Guardiola’s side winning seven of their first nine matches of the new season.

However, Man City have now lost four matches in a row in all competitions, including two Premier League defeats, which has seen them drop down to second in the table and Guardiola’s men are now five points adrift of leaders Liverpool.

Guardiola has won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups, a Champions League, a UEFA Super Cup and a FIFA Club World Cup during his time at Man City.

Widespread reports earlier this week claimed that Guardiola has now signed a new one-year contract extension at Man City with the deal to be made official over the next few days.

The Athletic‘s Sam Lee first revealed the news on Tuesday night, he wrote:

‘Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has agreed a new one-year contract extension with the option of an additional year.

‘The 53-year-old’s existing City deal was due to expire at the end of this season and, if the new contract is fulfilled, it would take Guardiola to over a decade in charge of the club.

‘It had been suggested that Guardiola may leave City at the end of the campaign alongside director of football Txiki Begiristain, whose departure — and the arrival of Hugo Viana from Sporting CP as his replacement — was confirmed in October.’

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And that has given clarity over Guardiola’s future in some much-needed positive news amid the hearing over the club’s alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial fair play rules and speculation that some players could leave.

Reports in Spain now claim that Man City ‘go crazy’ following the news that Guardiola will stay and are ‘preparing an astronomical offer that could reach 120 million euros (£100m)’ – which would equal the amount they paid Aston Villa for Jack Grealish – for Wirtz.

Real Madrid, Liverpool and Bayern Munich are also interested in the Germany international but Man City ‘seem to have taken the lead’ for the Bayer Leverkusen star.

It is understood that the Premier League champions are ‘willing to offer a contract that not only meets Wirtz’s financial expectations, but also guarantees him a leading role in the team’.

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