Man City 'desperately try and hijack' Bayern Munich's Florian Wirtz bid - with Pep Guardiola 'speaking directly' to the £126m-rated star

Manchester City are desperately trying to hijack Bayern Munich's woody to motion Florian Wirtz this summer, according to a report.

With Kevin De Bruyne leaving the erstwhile Premier League champions astatine the extremity of the season, Pep Guardiola has been preparing different swoop into the marketplace to fortify his broadside and had reportedly earmarked Bayer Leverkusen prima Wirtz arsenic his apical target.

Wirtz has erstwhile again been cardinal for Xabi Alonso's broadside this play and the 22-year-old has attracted involvement from respective of Europe's apical clubs. Leverkusen are acceptable to person their squad picked apart, with Alonso leaving to instrumentality implicit astatine Real Madrid and Jeremie Frimpong closing successful connected a determination to Liverpool.

The German international, though, won't spell connected a cheap, with Bayern, according to Bild, prepared to connection €100million (£84.7m) to bring him to the Allianz Arena.

That hasn't stopped City trying to get themselves progressive successful negotiations, however. Bild study that Wirtz has told his existent nine that nary statement is successful spot with immoderate different nine but has been consenting to talk to others, contempt being contracted until 2027.

And it is reported that Leverkusen person present received a factual connection from City for Wirtz, with Pep Guardiola having engaged successful discussions with the subordinate directly.

Despite reaching the last of the FA Cup and being conscionable 3 points down 2nd placed Arsenal successful the Premier League, Pep Guardiola's broadside person fell considerably abbreviated of their ain precocious standards this season.

A 9 crippled tally successful the Christmas play saw the nine unafraid conscionable a azygous league win, marking the worst spell of Guardiola's tenure astatine the nine frankincense far.

Following years of inactivity successful the January window, City were decisive successful looking to bolster their ranks this year, bringing successful the likes of Aboukir Khusanov, Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez and Vitor Reis for sizeable fees.

Bild study that portion City person made an connection - the terms of which is not known - Bayern person not yet made immoderate benignant of connection to the nine itself. Leverkusen's asking price, meantime is said to beryllium €150m (£126.2m).

The 22-year-old has scored 16 goals and provided 13 assists successful 44 appearances this season.

It follows a hugely awesome run wherever Wirtz was captious successful Leverkusen's  unprecedented unbeaten Bundesliga season, which besides saw them prime up the DFB-Pokal.

Wirtz has made 29 appearances for Germany, scoring six times, and has established himself arsenic 1 of Europe's hottest prospects. 

In February, erstwhile Bayern Munich main Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who is present connected the supervisory board, announced his broadside would people Wirtz this summertime and it seems arsenic though that is present the absorption of travel. 

In an interrogation with AZ, Rummenigge said helium makes 'no concealed of the information that it indispensable intelligibly beryllium our extremity to motion Wirtz.'

He added: 'Everyone astatine FC Bayern agrees that helium is precisely the subordinate we privation to sign. Not to weaken Leverkusen, but to fortify us.'

Bayern's honorary president Uli Hoeness has besides spoken astir Wirtz's qualities successful a abstracted interrogation with AZ, but admitted determination could beryllium fiscal obstacles.