Florian Wirtz is one of the players in focus as Liverpool take on Real Madrid at Anfield tonight.
The German international will be keen on proving himself in front of his former head coach Xabi Alonso, having endured a difficult start to life at Liverpool.
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However, had things gone differently, Wirtz would have been representing Real Madrid tonight, as he was apparently close to joining the club five years ago.
Real Madrid were close to signing Wirtz
According to AS, Real Madrid were close to signing Florian Wirtz in 2020, as they wanted to shore up their ranks in the creative department.
Wirtz was still a teenager at the time and was coming on the back of his rookie season in the Bundesliga that saw him make seven appearances for Leverkusen.
Florian Wirtz will be looking to impress Real Madrid. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Having identified the talent early, Real Madrid were close to making a move for the German, especially after Eden Hazard’s poor maiden campaign at the Bernabeu.
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However, the report adds that the move fell through due to the pandemic.
The report details just how advanced the operation was. Juni Calafat’s scouting department had identified Wirtz as “pure talent” and, after contacting his entourage in the winter of 2020, found the player was delighted by the thought of wearing white.
This was something that has been revealed by Bayer Leverkusen chief Fernando Carro as well recently, stating that Wirtz was only one call away.
Everything was in motion for Real Madrid. A meeting was set to take place between Real Madrid and Leverkusen to finalise the transfer of the then 18-year-old prodigy.
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But due to the pandemic, the crucial meeting was postponed, and the period of financial restraint that followed effectively closed the door on new signings at the Bernabeu, thereby halting Wirtz’s path to Madrid.