Concern for Liverpool? Real Madrid enter race to sign Florian Wirtz with Xabi Alonso keen to reunite with Bayer Leverkusen star in Spain

A report by AS claims that Real have not given up on Leverkusen midfielder Wirtz and have now entered the race to reunite him with his former manager, Xabi Alonso.

Liverpool are currently the front-runners for Wirtz’s signature; however, just a few weeks ago, they were not in contention. At that time, it was a three-way battle between German giants Bayern Munich, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, and Real. In April, Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro set a €150 million asking price for the midfielder, which led City to pull out of the race. Bayern president Herbert Hainer also revealed in an interview with Abendzeitung (via AS), a Munich-based media outlet, that Wirtz is on his way to Liverpool. However, with Xabi Alonso now appointed as Real Madrid manager, the Spanish club are making a renewed effort to secure his services.

Wirtz was recovering from a torn cruciate ligament when Alonso arrived at Leverkusen in October 2022. Under his tutelage, the 22-year-old found the form of his life and went on to score 18 and 16 goals in two successive seasons.

After a dismal 2024-25 season, Real will now shift focus to the FIFA Club World Cup, which is set to commence on 14 June.