Florian Wirtz has handed Barcelona a boost in his pursuit, admitting that he dreams of playing for them.
In an interview with Sky Sport Germany, Florian Wirtz has lifted the lid on his desire to play for Barcelona one day. The 18-year-old Bayer Leverkusen prodigy also said that he idolised Lionel Messi while growing up while revealing that he has posters of the former Barcelona captain in his room.
Florian Wirtz has become one of the hottest properties in the market since breaking out at Bayer Leverkusen as a 17-year-old. The teenage wonderkid quickly established himself as a pivotal figure for Die Werkself, replacing Kai Havertz ably while also breaking into the German national side.
The 18-year-old had been enjoying a superb 2021/22 campaign before a long-term injury played spoilsport. Wirtz amassed a solid tally of ten goals and 14 assists in 31 appearances. And the German international’s exploits have not gone unnoticed, with one of the biggest clubs in Europe – Barcelona – setting sights on him.
Barcelona could utilise Wirtz either in attack or in midfield, with the player capable of playing out wide or reprising the no. 8 role. Wirtz also fits the mould in Xavi Hernandez’s system, thereby justifying Barcelona’s interest in the teenager. And now, Wirtz himself has revealed his Barcelona dream.
“I always wanted to be the best, as a child I dreamed of playing for Barça and that hasn’t changed,” Wirtz said before asserting that he is in no hurry to leave Bayer Leverkusen just yet. The 18-year-old German international then revealed the players whose posters he has in his room.
“I actually had a few posters hanging in my room, [like] Lionel Messi, Ousmane Dembele and Aubameyang, for example. My first jersey, however, was Messi’s Argentina jersey. When I was little, he was the best player there was at the time in the world.”
“I watched videos of him, was a fan of his – I wanted to be as good as him. Of course, I’ve developed my own style in the meantime. [But] nobody can play like Messi – he has his own way of playing. Sometimes I watch more specifically how he solves situations.”
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With Wirtz out injured for several months, a move in the coming summer transfer window might be out of the question. But with arch-rivals Real Madrid reportedly eyeing a 2023 move for the 18-year-old German international, a transfer battle could be on the cards next year.