Florian Wirtz can solve Man City's impending Kevin De Bruyne problem

Manchester City's spell of dominance since 2015 has been defined by two men - Pep Guardiola and Kevin De Bruyne.

The Blues were a good side before both arrived at the Etihad Stadium but they became brilliant thanks to the influence both had. To this day, there is no better playmaker or attacking midfielder in the Premier League than the 32-year-old Belgian.

His abilities cannot be defined by monetary value and without De Bruyne on the pitch, City have shown signs of weakness. Sadly, the occasions when he has not been able to feature have become more common these days.

READ MORE: State of play with De Bruyne

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The 2023/24 season has seen the midfielder miss 19 matches in the Premier League alone which will have come as a disappointment to many but has also served to spark the debate about his future. As MEN Sport reported this week, De Bruyne remains a hugely important player for the club and his stock has not lowered despite his lack of minutes.

However, Guardiola has not led City to this position thanks to sentimentality and while De Bruyne will be allowed to see out his contract in 2025, the Blues will be starting their search for a replacement already. Cue speculation this week that Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz is on the radar for Guardiola.

Having recovered from an ACL injury before the start of the campaign, the 20-year-old has enjoyed a breakout campaign with goals and assists both reaching double figures. According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Wirtz has no interest in leaving the Bundesliga club until at least 2025 which is perfect timing for City to make their move.

Another season in Germany would undoubtedly benefit Wirtz and would see him perfectly prepared