Manchester City working on ‘Plan B' option after withdrawing Florian Wirtz transfer interest
Hugo Viana and Manchester City officials are now working on their 'Plan B' option in the transfer market after withdrawing interest in Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz.
The Etihad Stadium faithful bid farewell to Kevin De Bruyne on Tuesday night in an emotional affair that saw the iconic 33-year-old presented with a lifetime season ticket at the club, a mosaic at the training ground, and confirmed plans for a statue outside of the arena.
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The 3-1 win over Bournemouth was not only De Bruyne's final home match for Manchester City, but also a mammoth victory in the context of the club's chase for UEFA Champions League football – a competition that could prove vital in attracting a certain calibre of player.
And that is of the utmost importance as City bosses go in search of their best-possible replacement for the Belgium international, despite retracting from the race to sign Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz this summer.
Manchester City were long tied to links with the Germany international playmaker, alongside Bayern Munich, Liverpool, and Real Madrid, but growing finances around a move ultimately proved too costly for Etihad decision makers.
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As such, the likes of Hugo Viana and Txiki Begiristain are moving their attentions elsewhere in the transfer market and are looking at alternatives to take control of the creative weight from next season in Pep Guardiola's squad.
According to the information of Sky Sport's Sacha Tavolieri, Manchester City have maintained 'regular contacts' with the entourage of Barcelona midfielder Dani Olmo, knowing that the financial difficulties of the La Liga champions would make finding a transfer agreement easier.
It is claimed that officials at the Etihad Stadium have already 'prepared the groundwork' for Pep Guardiola to have a new central creator in his squad 'capable of creating play, connecting different zones, generating chances, and converting actions into goals'.
Should a transfer be completed for Olmo between Barcelona and City, the report reveals a €60 million fee could be on the cards.
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Follow-up reporting from Tavolieri on his social media channels has further revealed that Florian Wirtz has chosen Bayern Munich as his next club, in a wish that has been confirmed to City officials.
As for the work being conducted by incoming director of football Hugo Viana and his recruitment team, it is emphasised that they are now working on Dani Olmo as their 'Plan B', a player that has 'always been very appreciated' by manager Pep Guardiola.
It also remains to be seen whether there are any names within the existing Manchester City squad that Pep Guardiola and his coaching staff feel can carry some of the creative responsibilities left behind by Kevin De Bruyne from this summer.
Much has been made this season of Phil Foden's disappointing campaign, and so many will be hoping to see a much stronger return from the England international next season, particularly following his Premier League Player of the Season heroics across 2023/24.
A number of alterations are expected to be made to the City squad over the course of the summer, with uncertainties still looming over the likes of James McAtee and Claudio Echeverri, with permanent and loan deals anticipated for both respectively.
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