Newcastle United are interested in a swoop for Bayer Leverkusen prodigy Florian Wirtz and could look to secure the dynamic ace's signature this summer after qualifying for the Champions League.
What's the latest on Florian Wirtz to Newcastle?
As per Spanish sources, the 20-year-old Wirtz has been earmarked by Magpies technical director Dan Ashworth as the Tyneside club look to bolster the ranks after a tremendous campaign.
Wirtz is a precocious talent but suffered a detrimental injury last year, though he made his return to action after the 2022 World Cup and is now firing at full throttle under Xabi Alonso's wing.
Touted for at least £60m, Wirtz is "one of the best talents in the world", according to Fabrizio Romano, who stated that Barcelona, Real Madrid and Liverpool are also vying for his signature.
Should Newcastle sign Florian Wirtz?
A dynamic and enterprising player, Wirtz finds his most fruitful success playing as an attacking midfielder, both centrally and out wide, though he more than holds his own when deployed in a role closer to a centre-forward.
The six-cap Germany international has played 24 matches this season after missing the first phase due to his rehabilitation from injury, starting 18 times, scoring four goals and supplying eight assists.
Wirtz exudes confidence and flair in a manner which belies his tender age, having scored 17 goals and served 22 assists across his past two seasons, despite residing in his teenage years.
As per FBref, he ranks among the top 3% of attacking midfielders and wingers at the top level over the past year for assists, the top 4% for shot-creating actions, the top 3% for attempted passes, the top 5% for progressive passes and the top 1% for successful take-ons per 90.
It is a testament to his prodigious footballing roots, woven without seam, that he has managed to return to the pitch with such emphatic success despite his lengthy layoff and youthful age; Wirtz is truly a sensation and a signing of his ilk would confirm to English and European football that Newcastle are a new force with a calibre beckoning all to challenge their might.
The "outstanding" star, as described by Germany manager Hansi Flick, is listed as a comparable player to Manchester City's £100m man Jack Grealish, and if Newcastle could craft their own version of the fleet-footed winger, bridging the gap between the Toon and Pep Guardiola's Citizens could be far less strenuous a task.
Of course, it will not be easy to derail one of football's greatest modern outfits, who have just recently claimed their third successive Premier League title and are through to the finals of the FA Cup and Champions League en route to a historic treble, but Newcastle have already demonstrated their ascension and could require someone like Wirtz to indeed close the gulf.
Grealish has played two seasons for the Sky Blues since departing his boyhood club Aston Villa, and while not the most prolific of wingers, registering 26 direct contributions from 87 outings, his distinctive flair and destructive dribbling is a weapon rarely wielded by the lion-share of teams.
The 27-year-old ranks among the top 14% of positional peers for shot-creating actions, the top 5% for pass completion, the top 3% for progressive carries and the top 4% for progressive passes received, which underscores his value as a superlative transitional force.
Wirtz must be signed, Newcastle are looking to make apt increments to their thriving squad ahead of the upswing in competition next term, and the Leverkusen starlet would nail in the novel success on Tyneside with the force of a veritable hammer.