A headline member of the midfield setup at Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen views Barcelona star João Félix as his footballing idol.
The player in question? Florian Wirtz.
Youngster Wirtz, for his part, has turned heads across the continent to this point in the season, owing to his remarkable exploits with Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen.
In the midst of an unbeaten campaign at the BayArena, the German international has racked up 36 appearances, notching 11 goals and a whopping 17 assists along the way.
As much comes despite Wirtz not being set to turn 21 until later this summer.
Rumoured interest in the signature of the attacking midfielder on the part of a whole host of European football’s giants, in turn, has come as little surprise.
Ahead of the summer transfer window, almost all of the continent’s top clubs have been named as keen admirers of Wirtz’s talents.
And one such club comes in the form of La Liga heavyweights Barcelona.
Though the Blaugrana, at present, would find it impossible to come up with the sum likely to be required to coax Bayer Leverkusen into a sale, it has been suggested that they have already drawn up a long-term plan, to lure the German international to Catalunya down the line.
It will therefore no doubt come as a source of interest on the part of all associated with Barca to hear that Wirtz, for his part, idolises a current member of the attacking ranks at the club.
The player in question? João Félix.
As unveiled by way of a series of past interviews, and today cited by Mundo Deportivo, Wirtz considers Portuguese international Félix – currently on loan at Barcelona from Atlético Madrid – to be something of a reference point.
“My idol? João Félix.
“He is a type of player similar to me, he is very creative and I learned that from him.”
Conor Laird | GSFN
