Joan Laporta is working to regain the trust of Barcelona club members to secure his position as president in the upcoming elections. He understands that high-profile signings are key to winning over fans and members, so he aims to bring in one of Europe’s top stars.
Reports from El Nacional indicate that Florian Wirtz plans to leave Bayer Leverkusen for Spain next season, with aspirations to join either Barcelona or Real Madrid. However, Barcelona’s financial issues could complicate this move. Wirtz has openly stated his admiration for Barcelona and recently commented on young talent Lamine Yamal, which drew criticism from Florentino Perez.
Wirtz’s contract with Leverkusen runs until 2027, but he has a clause allowing him to leave in 2025 if a club offers €130 million. Laporta is aware of this option and has the backing of coach Hansi Flick, who is eager to work with Wirtz. Despite the hurdles, Laporta has initiated discussions with Wirtz’s representatives, who are open to negotiations. Wirtz dreams of playing for Barcelona.
Wirtz’s admiration for Barcelona isn’t recent; he stated in 2017, “My dream when I was young was to play for Barcelona and that hasn’t changed. The good thing is that I still have a lot of time.”
Laporta plans to secure the €130 million fee that Leverkusen is asking for Wirtz and will leverage the player’s loyalty to the club and his positive relationship with Hansi Flick to persuade him to make the move.
