Leverkusen back Wirtz to 'shine' on European stage

Bayer Leverkusen host AC Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday, hoping for a sparkling performance from star midfielder Florian Wirtz.

Still just 21, Wirtz will make his home debut in the competition, having missed Leverkusen's most recent Champions League campaign with an ACL injury.

That he will do so against seven-time champions Milan feels appropriate for a player tipped for a long career on the European stage.

Leverkusen's squad is deep in quality and Xabi Alonso's coaching is rightly praised, but Wirtz's spark is central to everything the team does. 

Known primarily for his midfield creativity, he is also a goal threat; Wirtz has four goals in five league games this season. 

In a team featuring Granit Xhaka, Victor Boniface, Patrik Schick, Alex Grimaldo and Exequiel Palacios, Wirtz is trusted enough to be Leverkusen's designated penalty taker.

'Allow Flo to shine'

Wirtz's talent is undeniable and despite playing a crucial role as Leverkusen broke through for a debut Bundesliga title, he still has a point to prove in European competition.

He was muscled out in last year's Europa League final, won 3-0 by Atalanta in Leverkusen's only loss of a 53-game season. 

Bayern Munich adopted a similar approach in Saturday's 1-1 Bundesliga draw, successfully denting Leverkusen's creativity by heavily marking the star midfielder. 

When Wirtz can free himself from the heavy attention, he is among the most dangerous players in the game. 

In Leverkusen's Champions League opener at Feyenoord -- Wirtz's first match in the competition -- he scored a first-half double in a dominant 4-0 win.

At 1.77-metres tall, Wirtz will never be the most physical player, something Alonso knows from personal experience as a similarly proportioned midfielder.

Speaking on Friday, Alonso said the whole team had the responsibility for unleashing "the best Flo."

He can't "go it alone," Alonso said, adding "we need the whole team on their best level to allow Flo to shine."

The 150 million euro man

As expected for a starlet at a club of Leverkusen's stature, rumours have already linked Wirtz, who has a contract until 2027, with an exit from the club perhaps as early as next summer.

Earlier in 2024, Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro said he would "never let Wirtz go for less than 150 million euros ($167 million)". 

Known for shooting from the hip, Carro later apologised, saying he "made a mistake" and explaining "we want to keep Florian Wirtz with us for as long as possible... he doesn't have a price tag."

Real Madrid, Manchester City and Arsenal are reportedly among the interested parties, but German giants Bayern are also set to push hard to sign Wirtz.

Bayern are long-term admirers of the midfielder and want to have him line up alongside Germany teammate Jamal Musiala as they do so well at international level.

Wearing a bright smile, Bayern's goalkeeper and captain Manuel Neuer told Sky Germany he would "prefer to play with both together in the same team."

A star showing on the international stage will continue to enhance the demand for Wirtz's services -- and magnify the sum Leverkusen could receive in return.