Florian Wirtz's comment about Arsenal star speaks volumes as Liverpool hold secret talks

Liverpool and Manchester City target Florian Wirtz has openly set his sights on outshining Arsenal's with the young star admitting he aims to surpass his compatriot in terms of talent and accolades. The 22-year-old playmaker has reportedly met with and City officials over a this summer.

With Liverpool crowned champions for the second time in five years, their prospects of could be on the up. City, meanwhile, are looking to rebuild after an underwhelming season by their lofty standards.

Wirtz made history as youngest player when he debuted at just 17 in May 2020, but had the daunting task of filling the void left by Havertz, who headed for the Premier League with that year.

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Talking to Sportbild back in 2021, Wirtz said: "It motivates me to be even better than Kai. I always want to be the best, and I hate losing. I've always been like this."

Wirtz's words no doubt reflect his winning mindset, which has seen him excel at Leverkusen under Xabi Alonso and hint at the calibre of player Liverpool or City might be adding to their ranks.

Despite the friendly rivalry with Havertz, Wirtz acknowledged the influence Havertz had on his development, adding: "I watched [Havertz] in training; how he behaved in front of goal and moved in the space."

Should a move to the Premier League materialise, Wirtz could have the chance to compete with Havertz and next season. Havertz's Arsenal have proven to be Liverpool and City's biggest challengers in the title race over the last few years, but Mikel Arteta's men have come off second best every time so far.

Havertz, who swapped Chelsea blue for Arsenal red in 2023 with a hefty £65million price tag attached, is still on the hunt for his first Premier League crown.

The German international, who departed Leverkusen with an impressive tally of 77 goal contributions in 150 appearances, has opened up about his early career pressures. He cautioned Wirtz, who's been dubbed the 'next Havertz', to keep his ears closed to the hype surrounding him at Leverkusen.

"With me, everything happened so quickly. I just didn't understand where all the hype came from," Havertz said. "It's hard to maintain your form as a young player.

"It's always up and down. You can't trust everyone who praises you after a good game any more than you can believe those who label you crap after a bad one. It's important to learn how to tune others out."

Nonetheless, Wirtz has truly come into his own at Leverkusen, even outshining Havertz with a stunning tally of 57 goals and 65 assists over 196 appearances for the club.

While Liverpool are celebrating, boss is already plotting ways to bolster the squad for forthcoming title defences and trophy pursuits next season. A move to sign talent magnet Wirtz would be nothing short of a power play for the Reds, yet is certainly well in the race for the young star.

Kicker and BILD, heavyweights of German sport reporting, claimed on Wednesday that the sought-after 22-year-old met with top Liverpool brass while in England recently; however, prising him away from the Bundesliga could cost upwards of £124 million.

Trent Alexander-Arnold's anticipated exit from Liverpool is poised to release roughly £10m annually from the payroll. The Merseyside outfit might also have the capacity to spend big due to a lack of expenditure last season.

Their strong positioning with regards to PSR, while tying down Virgil van Dijk and to fresh contracts, could also appeal to new talent coming in.

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