Owen Hargreaves believes Mikel Arteta would love to sign Florian Wirtz for Arsenal but has backed the Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder to join Manchester City or Real Madrid instead.
Wirtz, who missed Leverkusen’s Champions League group stage campaign two years ago due to a cruciate ligament injury, was outstanding as the German side won 4-0 at Feyenoord in their first outing in this season’s revamped competition.
The 21-year-old scored twice in the first half and was named Player of the Match for his display against the Dutch side.
The Germany international has already been tipped to leave Leverkusen at the end of the season and Hargreaves believes a number of Europe’s top sides will be chasing Wirtz – including Arsenal.
“I mean, he’s a brilliant young player in terms of goals and assists, his numbers last season were crazy,” Hargreaves told TNT Sport. “For a young kid, he’s producing for Germany and Leverkusen.
“He’s not a centre forward, you think about Toni [Kroos] leaving Real Madrid, I think he could go in and learn that role. Toni started as a No.10 and then gradually worked back. I think Florian can eventually control a game.
“If I was him it’s either [Manchester] City or Real. I’m sure Mikel would love him at Arsenal, too. He’s that good, he makes every team better. But he is a No.10, but I just think he’s so smart. I think everybody would [build their team around him] and I think he’s so smart with his dad, he’ll know, ‘right, I’m going to go there because that’s the best fit for me’.”
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Wirtz the talk of Europe
Speaking after Wirtz’s impressive performance on Thursday night, Leverkusen head coach, Xabi Alonso, said: “I’m happy for him that the first Champions League game was so good, that’s a good feeling.
“He has a lot to do to show everyone how good he is.”
Wirtz has been at Leverkusen since 2020 and has notched 46 goals for the club in 158 games, although it was last season under Xabi Alonso where he really stepped up his development as the German outfit claimed their first-ever Bundesliga triumph.
The playmaker chalked up a remarkable 38 goal involvements in 49 games in competitions mainly playing in the No.10 role, although he can also lay out wide if required.
Wirtz has also firmly established himself in the Germany senior set-up, scoring four times in 25 appearances.
However, quite where he would fit into an Arsenal side that already has the outstanding Martin Odegaard pulling the strings from midfield would be a dilemma, if indeed the Gunners decided to follow the advice of Hargreaves
Arsenal target poised for new deal as Partey replacement eyed
In other Arsenal news, it appears that Newcastle are doing all they can to tie down Gunners targets Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak to new contracts.
The attacking pair have both been linked with moves to The Emirates, although there is known to be more interest in Isak from north London given Arsenal’s need to add another central striker to their ranks.
Liverpool, meanwhile, maintain a healthy interest in Gordon although Newcastle are actively pushing to get new deals done for the pair.
Meanwhile, TT can reveal that midfielder Thomas Partey is almost certain to leave at the end of the season and that Arsenal already have a replacement target on their shortlist.
We understand that Turkish giants Galatasaray and Fenerbahce are keeping close tabs on Partey’s situation, along with clubs from the Saudi Pro League.
But in terms of who could replace the Ghana international, TT can report that the Gunners are admirers of Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi.
IN FOCUS – Wirtz v Odegaard stats
Martin Odegaard is a true leader in every sense at Arsenal, both in the way he is in the dressing but also be how he backs it up week after week on the pitch – but how do his stats from last season stack up to the impressive Wirtz? Let’s take a look…
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