Newcastle United are reportedly interested in signing Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen.
That’s according to Sport Bild (via Sport Witness), who claim that the Magpies sent a scout to watch the teenage sensation last weekend against Koln.
What’s the story?
The report from Germany states that scout Geoff Lockhart was sent to watch Wirtz in action. The 18-year-old played 77 minutes, but was unable to register a goal or an assist.
However, Sport Bild add that Newcastle have no chance of signing the attacking midfielder in the near future. They state that Wirtz will be staying with Leverkusen until 2023.
The Magpies may have a chance then, but will face big competition from some of Europe’s top clubs. The likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Bayern Munich are also keen.
Where would Florian Wirtz fit in at Newcastle?
Like so many players linked with Newcastle right now, Wirtz would walk into our starting XI.
The youngster is incredibly creative, something we desperately lack. Other than Allan Saint-Maximin, we can’t rely on any of our attacking players to consistently carve out chances.
But Wirtz can score and create. Despite his tender age, he’s enjoying a brilliant start to the season. Wirtz has made 11 appearances in all competitions so far, scoring six goals and proving six assists. That’s a remarkable tally.
In 2023, who knows where Newcastle will be. We don’t know who the manager will be next week, never mind in the next two years.
But a player of Wirtz’s ability could fit in no matter who the manager is. And he’s the kind of player the new owners will want to sign – young player with huge potential who the club can be built around.
He could become part of the club’s spine over the next decade. But as we’ve previously stated, Newcastle will face a lot of competition for his signature.
Rating the rumour
While the idea of Wirtz in a black and white shirt is tantalising, this feels like pure fantasy at the moment. There are too many ifs and buts to take this rumour seriously.
In two years, who knows where we will be. We might be competing for a place in Europe. We might still be struggling to break away from the relegation zone. So much is up in the air right now with Newcastle United.
With huge clubs who are already established eyeing a move for Wirtz, it’s difficult to see how we’re going to muscle our way in and sign one of the best young players in world football today.
3/10
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