Real Madrid Transfers: Ranking the 5 best midfielders to buy

4. Bayer Leverkusen AM Florian Wirtz

The same can be said for Florian Wirtz, though. Bayer Leverkusen are throwing around a 150 million euro price tag for the phenomenal attacking midfielder, even though Wirtz recently suffered an ACL injury. I would assume he will be back and successful, but you can never assume with major injuries when so much money is at stake.

On the pitch, Wirtz is unquestionably special. It says something that he is even surpassing Kai Havertz at Leverkusen, given Havertz was also a rare talent for Die Werkself. Wirtz is a mature decision-maker and an exciting dribbler who carries the ball, makes progressive passes, creates goals, and can finish off a chance in or outside the box.

Real Madrid are always on the lookout for the best young players in the world – players who can become superstars. Wirtz is very much one of those and as a teenager is already among the ranks of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Erling Haaland as a top-five player in the world under the age of 25.

His numbers in the Bundesliga before the season-ending injury were outrageous. Wirtz had 7 goals and 10 assists with 2.5 key passes per game and 2.3 dribbles completed per game. He also averaged more than three key passes per game in the Europa League. Wirtz is a young leader and a modern-day playmaker – the kind of all-around attacking midfielder who can even be a midfielder in a flat three.

Real will play a different kind of football by the time Wirtz becomes a part of the equation. He is a target for 2023 and someone I could see the three biggest traditional clubs in Europe – Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid – fighting hard over next year.