Manchester City have 'withdrawn' from the race to sign Florian Wirtz as the true cost of the deal has emerged and it has stunned fans.
Wirtz is one of the most in demand midfielders in world football following his stellar performances for Bayer Leverkusen.
Naturally, he's garnering plenty of interest from Europe's elite clubs, including Premier League champions Liverpool and Bundesliga winners Bayern Munich.
Man City were also interested in signing Wirtz as they viewed him as a long-term successor to Kevin De Bruyne, who will leave the Etihad this summer when his contract expires.
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But the Blues are 'withdrawing' their initial interest in the 22-year-old owing to the 'soaring' costs of any deal.
According to BBC Sport, it is estimated that an agreement to sign Wirtz would represent the biggest deal in Man City's history, potentially reaching as much as €300 million (£253 million) inclusive of transfer fees and wages.
Man City are 'concerned' the cost of the deal is over-inflated despite Wirtz being among the leading young talents in world football.
They have shown they are prepared to walk away from transfers in the past if they believe a deal does not represent value for money.
Pep Guardiola's team have pulled out of signing the likes of Fred, Harry Maguire and Virgil van Dijk because of cost-related issues.
Needless to say, the details of a potential transfer for the German starlet got fans online talking.
One X user wrote: "300m all in? That’s crazy money. He’s good but he’s not that good."
A second added: "HOW MUCH??? He is NOT Neymar."
A third said: "300 mil is crazy in total."
Man City, however, will remain in the market for a new creative midfielder, with Hugo Viana and his team now working on a plan B.
Morgan Gibbs-White is believed to be high on their transfer wist-list following his impressive performances for Nottingham Forest this season.
As for Wirtz, he has reportedly chosen to stay in Germany to sign for Bayern.
Topics: Fan Reactions, Manchester City, Football
Nasir Jabbar