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Manchester City could hand Liverpool another transfer boost in the race for Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz(Image: Photo by Pau Barrena/Getty Images)

Manchester City could hand Liverpool a major boost in their pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz.

The Reds have emerged as surprise contenders for the Germany international this week and are admirers of the player, who could make a move should he indicate a willingness to join the Premier League.

Bayern Munich have long been considered favourites to land his signature, while some reports suggest Wirtz could opt to stay at the BayArena for another season.

However, Liverpool's hopes of securing the 22-year-old were boosted on Monday when English rivals City cooled their interest.

Pep Guardiola’s side had been seen as strong contenders alongside Bayern as they search for a long-term replacement for Kevin De Bruyne, but a move to the Etihad has now been ruled out, at least for the time being.

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That’s according to the BBC, who reported that the soaring costs of a potential deal have led City to look elsewhere, with Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White also among their list of targets.

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City’s withdrawal from the race essentially gives Liverpool a free run at Wirtz if the player decides he’s ready to test himself in England.

However, recent reports suggest City could boost Liverpool’s hopes of landing Wirtz in another way - by selling Leverkusen his potential replacement.

James McAtee, 22, has two years remaining on his contract at City and is widely expected to leave this summer, especially after being left out of Guardiola’s squad for the FA Cup final at the weekend.

According to Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, McAtee has received multiple enquiries from Bundesliga clubs, with Leverkusen understood to be among the sides keen on signing him.

While their current priority is appointing a new manager to replace Real Madrid-bound Xabi Alonso - and that appointment will likely influence incoming transfers - McAtee remains firmly on their radar.

Given McAtee is an attacking midfielder who operates in a similar role to Wirtz, it’s fair to assume he would be lined up as a replacement should Leverkusen’s star man move on.

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That said, Premier League clubs are also monitoring McAtee’s situation, so Leverkusen would face stiff competition for his signature.

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