Manchester City target Hertha Berlin teenager as Bayern Munich formalise Florian Wirtz interest | OneFootball

Manchester City are among a long list of English clubs vying for the services of Hertha BSC starlet Ibrahim Maza, according to reports in Germany.

The Premier League champions have identified Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz as a priority signing ahead of an upcoming transfer window that is likely to witness a host of senior, first-team names depart the club.

Kevin De Bruyne has been linked with a 12-month contract extension on reduced wages and while Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Ilkay Gundogan is close to staying at the club next term, a trio of Mateo Kovacic, Matheus Nunes and Kalvin Phillips could all leave.

Bernardo Silva has held a long-standing interest in a move to Spain to be closer to his homeland as it remains to be seen whether the Portugal international will finally move on after a trophy-laden, eight-year spell in Manchester.

With major changes expected, incoming sporting director Hugo Viana is expected to back Guardiola with significant funding in the market after City secured all of Abdukodir Khusanov, Omar Marmoush, Vitor Reis and Nico Gonzalez for a combined £181.5 million in January.

Ruben Dias, Erling Haaland and academy stalwart pair Phil Foden and Rico Lewis are likely to be the focal point of Pep Guardiola’s new-look Manchester City side but the club’s fanbase is bound to witness a change of guard come the new season.

According to SportBILD, whose information has been translated and relayed by Sport Witness, Manchester City are among a plethora of Premier League clubs keeping tabs on Hertha BSC starlet Ibrahim Maza ahead of the summer.

With Bayern Munich solidifying intent to sign Florian Wirtz in the summer, the Blues may have to look elsewhere to find a possible replacement for Kevin De Bruyne and fill glaring gaps in creativity left by the departures of Riyad Mahrez, Julian Alvarez and Cole Palmer.

Hertha BSC rejected all January approaches for their 19-year-old attacking midfielder owing to an asking price north of €20 million – a figure that will be halved in the summer as per the conditions of a clause in Maza’s contract.

Atlético Madrid, VfB Stuttgart, Olympique Marseille, Brentford, Brighton, Leicester, Newcastle, Southampton and Wolves all hold an interest in Maza, who is likely to get a move at the end of the season after an impressive campaign in Germany’s second tier of football.