Florian Wirtz alternative, £85m wildcard, wonder kid battle - Man City’s new look transfer shortlist

Manchester City have cooled their interest in Florian Wirtz amid a rising price and a Bayern Munich transfer battle.

The Blues have been keen on the Bayer Leverkusen playmaker as they seek a summer overhaul which may well be centred on their efforts to replace the departing Kevin De Bruyne.

Wirtz, at 21, was seen by many as the perfect long term fit but he seems likely to now join Vincent Kompany’s German champions barring any dramatic shift.

It leaves City exploring alternative options with Morgan Gibbs-White admired at the Etihad but likely to be a pricey option with Nottingham Forest qualifying for Europe and keen to retain the England international.

It remains to be seen whether City will cement their interest in the 25-year-old but there are plenty of alternative options for the Blues to explore. Here's three.

The Dutch playmaker has impressed in the Bundesliga for RB Leipzig and would cost around half the money Wirtz would.

In this seasons evidence is he more than half the player of the German. He’s been a threat for Leipzig with his attacking thrust and stellar performances catching the eye.

He’s comfortable on the ball and looks ready made for a Guardiola given his upbringing at Barcelona.

City fans got their first glimpse of one Argentine star in the making when Claudio Echeverri came off the bench in the FA Cup final on Saturday.

But could the Blues snap up another potential South American superstar? It’s a long shot because Real Madrid are understood to be keen to activate a buy back clause in Paz’s contract with Como as part of the deal which took the 20-year-old to Italy.

Paz has caught the eye in Serie A under the guidance of manager Cesc Fabregas and his dribbling skills and creative instincts mark