Chelsea are reportedly one of several clubs monitoring Bayer Leverkusen’s sparkling teenager Florian Wirtz.
According to Goal, the Blues have Wirtz firmly on their radar, but they are not alone.
Manchester United, Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are all said to be impressed by the 18-year-old.
A Florian flourish
Wirtz blast onto the scene last season, after he made 38 appearances for Leverkusen across all competitions.
He can actually thank Chelsea for being promoted to the first team.
After Kai Havertz set sail for Stamford Bridge last summer, the Bundesliga side needed another young talisman to take his place.
Enter Wirtz, who grabbed his opportunity in the spotlight with both hands.
“He will be the second Kai Havertz, who now plays at Chelsea,” said Bayern legend Lothar Matthäus.
“He will go the same way as Havertz.”
In his first full senior campaign, Wirtz managed eight goals and as many assists.
The German has cranked up the thermostat another couple of degrees this term.
Already the attacking midfielder is on five goals and four assists in just six outings.
Come on, Kai
Perhaps Chelsea could do with freshening up their very own Havertz.
His £71m (BBC) move from Leverkusen has yet to fully hit the billing.
There have been some instances of euphoria; the Champions League final winning strike stands out.
But overall, the Blues can still demand more from their expensive recruit.
Maybe the threat of his successor coming to South West London is the incentive he needs to kick on.
Chelsea have plenty of other transfer priorities they need to focus on for now.
However, watch this Wirtz space for sure.
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