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Manchester City pull out of Florian Wirtz transfer race in boost to Bayern Munich and Liverpool - Paper Round
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Published 19/05/2025 at 23:45 GMT+1
Tuesday’s Paper Round leads on Manchester City’s decision to rule themselves out of contention for Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz this summer. Elsewhere, Manchester United have two striker wish lists depending on whether they win the UEFA Europa League or not, the ‘new Didier Drogba’ is wanted by eight Premier League teams and Arsenal may look for a David Raya back-up.
'This man is a sensation' - Wirtz dances through RB Salzburg defence to add Leverkusen third
Video credit: TNT Sports
Manchester City are no longer in the race to sign Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz this summer due to the overall cost of signing the Germany international, the Daily Mail reports.
Wirtz, 22, had been viewed as an ideal replacement for Kevin De Bruyne, but City chiefs have pulled out of contention in a boost for both Bayern Munich and Liverpool.
The Daily Mail adds: “City say that the deal to land Wirtz would be the largest in the club's history and potentially topping £250 million with wages and bonuses.
“Leverkusen are losing Jeremie Frimpong to Liverpool, with manager Xabi Alonso taking over at Real Madrid. But Wirtz - with 23 goal contributions this season - is the jewel in the crown.
“The attacking midfielder is the latest in a steady line of targets who City have said does not represent value, having previously walked away from deals for Harry Maguire, Alexis Sanchez, Jorginho and Fred - all of whom went to Premier League rivals.”
Man Utd’s two striker lists
Manchester United have two wish lists based on whether they win or lose the UEFA Europa League final, live on TNT Sports and discovery+ on Wednesday night.
United will secure UEFA Champions League qualification with victory over Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao, but they will miss out on Europe entirely if they lose to Spurs, meaning they may struggle to land their priority targets, as listed by The Sun.
The paper claims United’s “List A” features Viktor Gyokeres, Liam Delap and Benjamin Sesko, while their back-up “List B” has Lorenzo Lucca, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Moise Kean and Mateo Retegui.
The Sun adds: “Swede sensation Gyokeres is one of Europe's hottest properties after netting 53 goals so far this term, with Portuguese champions Sporting willing to let him go for around £60m.
“[Ruben] Amorim knows his former star well but he is unlikely to come to Old Trafford without top-level European football.
“Likewise, RB Leipzig star Sesko's reported £64m release clause would be out of United's price range, too, given their PSR concerns - unless Amorim can shift out a swathe of his current players.
“Delap, 22, would cost just £30m thanks to a relegation clause in his Ipswich contract and is believed to be The Red Devils' top target.”
‘New Didier Drogba’ wanted by eight Premier League clubs
Nice’s Evann Guessand is wanted by at least eight Premier League clubs as well as teams in Germany as the 23-year-old’s stock continues to rise, the Telegraph reports.
Dubbed the “new Didier Drogba” and also from Ivory Coast, Guessand is the second highest-rated forward in Ligue 1 behind Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele, with West Ham and Aston Villa already showing an interest in the forward.
The Telegraph adds: “There are at least six other Premier League clubs hovering. There is also competition from half a dozen Bundesliga clubs, but the expectation is that Guessand would prefer a move to England, with a fee of up to €40m (£33.4m) being mooted. In today’s inflated market it is a deal that appears highly attractive.
“In fact he has, with his dynamism and desire to cover the distance, been likened to Villa’s Morgan Rogers, who is set to become a key player for England under Thomas Tuchel.
“Despite scoring 12 goals and with nine assists and having been third in the number of minutes played in Ligue 1, Guessand fell out of favour in recent weeks, which may also suggest he is leaving. Even so, last week he was also named the club’s player of the season and is undoubtedly Nice’s most-valuable asset. The club are aware of his ambitions and will not stand in his way if the right offer is made.”
Arsenal’s goalkeeping dilemma
Arsenal will seek a back-up for David Raya this summer with a string of current options likely to play that role next season, the Telegraph reports.
There will be a vacancy once Brazilian goalkeeper Neto’s loan spell from Bournemouth is over, and it is not believed teenage goalkeeper will play No. 2 at this stage of his career.
The Telegraph adds: “Estonia international Karl Hein has spent this season on loan at Real Valladolid and could come back into the first-team picture, but his future in north London is also uncertain.
“All the signs therefore point to Arsenal buying a new understudy to Raya this summer, with Espanyol’s Joan García known to be a player who has numerous admirers at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal tried to sign García last summer before accepting defeat and pivoting towards Neto at the end of the window.
“A few months ago, sources in Spain told Telegraph Sport that García’s move to Arsenal this summer was regarded by many in Spanish football as a near-certainty. Now, however, the picture seems less clear, in large part because García has enjoyed an excellent season and is catching the eye of other teams.”
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