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Arsenal have reportedly joined the race to sign Florian Wirtz. The 21-year-old attacking midfielder has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League for a while now as .

Wirtz, who sees his contract at the Bay Arena expire in June 2027, has featured 27 times in the Bundesliga this season, scoring nine goals and providing 11 assists. Playing a key role in Xabi Alonso's side, .

Despite not having found the net since January, from Europe's top clubs – including Arsenal. In fact, according to , the Gunners have recently joined the race for Wirtz's signature.

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The report claims Manchester City have identified the playmaker as a potential replacement for Kevin De Bruyne. It's said that Liverpool are keen too, but .

states that Bayern Munich are preparing a 'serious offer' for Bayer Leverkusen while they continue negotiations with Wirtz's entourage. The report also claims that .

There's no surprise that Europe's top clubs are battling to sign Wirtz. Back in January 2023, Alonso likened the youngster to Lionel Messi. As quoted by , the Bayer Leverkusen boss said: "There are good players and there are players who look good on the pitch.

"The player who looks good does things that are nice, but not necessarily efficient. Why is Messi so good? Because he knows how and when to play simple passes.

"Messi says: 'You're in a better position? Here, there you have the ball!' It's not always about making the most brilliant move, but the best and smartest. Florian can do that. That's why he's so good."

According to , Wirtz has a €125m (£107m) release clause in his contract. Then, speaking to reporters after a Champions League win over Red Bull Salzburg in November 2024, Alonso outlined his plan for the youngster.

"We want to help Florian Wirtz. We know how different he is for us. We have to find him at the right moments. We need to have a good structure to help him. This competition is for him.

"He is a Champions League player. Hopefully we can go through to the next round. For Florian, he wants to have a big game. A big game is the best thing for him."

After scoring a brilliant goal against St Pauli back in December, Alonso said: "His control, his dribbling. It's not easy to do that in a tight space. He is a special player for us.

"We're happy that he's here and gives us that extra quality. He has a top mentality and I had nothing to do with the goal. That's his genius, his moment."