Man City identify Kevin De Bruyne replacement and plan to copy Jack Grealish blueprint

Manchester City have set their sights on Florian Wirtz as the successor to Kevin De Bruyne, and are ready to break the £100million mark to secure the Bayer Leverkusen prodigy. The decision not to extend De Bruyne's contract is driven by City's confidence in their ability to lure Wirtz away from the Bundesliga champions this summer.

Newly appointed director of football Hugo Viana will be entrusted with executing the deal, backed by sufficient funds to persuade Leverkusen to part with their star player. City previously met Aston Villa's £100million buy-out clause for Jack Grealish nearly five years ago when Pep Guardiola identified the midfielder as a top target.

The Blues are willing to follow that blueprint and make another significant investment to acquire 21-year-old Wirtz, offering him a substantial increase on his current £73,000-a-week salary. Viana, who will replace Txiki Begiristain at the end of the season, is expected to hit the ground running after being headhunted from Sporting Lisbon.

City are committed to investing whatever it takes to revamp Guardiola's squad, having already spent over £170million on three new players during the winter transfer window. Wirtz is the primary target after City decided against renewing De Bruyne's contract to channel maximum resources into securing the German international.

Wirtz, the Leverkusen starlet, has two years remaining on his current contract, but the club is eager to secure his future amidst interest from Manchester City and Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich. Leverkusen have tabled a two-year extension until 2028.

The Mirror claim Wirtz's representatives are advocating for an £85 million release clause to be activated post-World Cup next year, while Leverkusen are aiming for a higher figure of over £125 million.

City are under the impression that Xavi Alonso's side would prefer their prized asset to ply his trade outside the Bundesliga.

Whether Wirtz would risk leaving Germany at the start of a World Cup season remains to be seen.

However, being earmarked by Guardiola as the successor to a Premier League midfield legend could sway his decision.

Wirtz, who boasts a tally of 15 goals and 13 assists this season, is currently nursing an ankle injury.

In his absence, Leverkusen have lost momentum in the Bundesliga, been ousted from the Champions League by Bayern, and suffered a surprising 2-1 defeat to third-tier Arminia Bielfeld in the German Cup semi-finals.