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Florian Wirtz during a Bayer Leverkusen game(Image: Pau Barrena/Getty Images)

Florian Wirtz once revealed that he took inspiration from Kai Havertz's journey from Bayer Leverkusen to the Premier League - as he continues to be linked with his own record-breaking move to Liverpool.

The 22-year-old Leverkusen star has been linked with a mega-money move to the Premier League this summer, with Liverpool and Manchester City set to go head to head with Bayern Munich for the Germany international.

However, the ECHO understands that despite the Reds' willingness to make a play for Wirtz, the feeling is that the highly-sought-after attacking midfielder will remain in Germany with either Leverkusen or Bayern.



This is despite Liverpool and City officials contacting Wirtz's representatives.

Since making his debut for Leverkusen five years ago, Wirtz has become an instrumental figure for both club and country, and last season was part of the history-making Leverkusen side that recorded a league and cup double.

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Unfortunately for Leverkusen, though, Wirtz's performances have come at a price, with his appearance in Saturday's 2-2 draw at Mainz 05 looking like it could well be his last for the club.

However, Wirtz wouldn't be the first star player Leverkusen have lost in recent years, with Chelsea agreeing a club record £75m deal to sign Havertz at the end of the 2019-20 season.

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And Wirtz revealed that the German international, who scored the winning goal in the 2021 Champions League final before making the move across London to join Arsenal two years later for £65m, was a big inspiration for him as he progressed through Leverkusen's ranks.

Speaking to the official Bayer Leverkusen site in 2021, Wirtz said: "Kai is only 21 but he has proved himself at the highest level for many years: in the Bundesliga, the Champions League and now with Chelsea in the Premier League.

"Those bits are unpleasant for me to be compared with him as a 16 or 17-year-old.

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Wirtz added: "Of course, Kai is a role model.

I was particularly impressed with his first contact with the ball and it was better than that than anybody else in the team.

"That enabled him to take virtually every chance in front of goal and he was able to position himself perfectly to receive good balls."

Bayern director Uli Hoeness gave an update on his side's pursuit of Wirtz over the weekend, telling German media: "What can I tell you now?"

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"You've been writing nonsense for weeks about him going to Manchester City, even though he was at Liverpool.
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