Liverpool Close to Securing Club-Record Deal for Florian Wirtz
Liverpool are on the verge of signing a club-record deal for Bayer Leverkusen’s highly sought-after playmaker, Florian Wirtz. According to reports, the Merseysiders are locked in talks with the Bundesliga rivals and are closing in on securing the 22-year-old’s signature for a colossal £109.6m (€130m, $147.5m). This comes as a significant boost to the club, with TeamTalk revealing that a promise made by Arne Slot to Wirtz has effectively ruined Bayern Munich’s dreams of poaching him.
The main issue surrounding the deal is the initial payment and various add-ons associated with the record-breaking transfer. However, several sources expect a total agreement to be settled in a number of days. Having beaten off Bayern Munich and Manchester City to Wirtz’s signing, with the latter ultimately deciding the costs involved were simply too high, it has emerged that Slot’s promise to play Wirtz in the No.10 position at Anfield was the decisive factor in his decision.
Bundesliga expert Christian Falk revealed, “The decisive factor in his decision was that Arne Slot offered him ownership of the number 10 role at Liverpool. In Munich, he would have had to share this with Jamal Musiala. The talks with the coaches were decisive.” This news comes as a significant blow to Bayern Munich, who had been keen on signing Wirtz to bolster their attacking options.
Former Bayern Munich technical director Marco Neppe reckons that Liverpool will soon be landing one of the world’s most complete stars, highlighting Wirtz’s combination of dribbling skills, eye for goals, skillset, and ability to change the game in the blink of an eye. Wirtz contributed 18 goals and 20 assists across all competitions last season as Leverkusen almost completed an unprecedented Treble. This season, he has continued to impress, contributing 16 goals and 15 assists from 45 appearances – a goal or assist every 109.4 minutes.
Neppe told Sky Sports, “It is the combination. His willingness. He is so brave. His skill set is dangerous for every opponent. He can change the momentum of a game just by having an idea nobody expects, and suddenly everything is different. He is a game changer.” Leverkusen’s sporting director, Simon Rolfes, also praised Wirtz’s maturity and ability, saying, “From the mental side, he is incredible. How he works, how ambitious he is, how stable he is emotionally. Everyone sees the technical side, the fantastic passes, the dribbling, whatever. But this side of him is amazing. He is just so focused.”
Rolfes also highlighted Wirtz’s leadership qualities, adding, “Already, he is a leader of this team, inspiring the other players with his behaviour. He is making the other players better around him. And I think a really top, top player has this ability.” According to TeamTalk, Slot will not stop at just the signing of Wirtz this summer and will next focus on re-modelling the Reds’ attack with two more huge transfer targets now in their sights.
Wirtz has recorded some impressive achievements by the age of 21, including becoming the youngest Bundesliga scorer, being named the Europa League Young Player of the Season two years in a row, and helping Bayer Leverkusen win their first ever Bundesliga in 2023/24. He has also been named the Bundesliga Player of the Month six times and finished second on the assists chart for the 2024/25 Bundesliga.
As per TeamTalk, Wirtz’s impressive record has shown that he could be ready for the next step, and Liverpool’s pursuit of him is a clear indication of the club’s ambition to strengthen their squad. With the deal poised to go through in the next few days, Liverpool fans will be eager to see Wirtz in action at Anfield and witness the impact he can have on the team.
The signing of Wirtz would be a major coup for Liverpool, and it would be interesting to see how he integrates into the team and forms a partnership with other players. As reported by TeamTalk, the Reds are also interested in signing Milos Kerkez, a Hungarian full-back, and Jeremie Frimpong, who became Liverpool’s first signing of the summer window. With these signings, Liverpool are looking to bolster their squad and challenge for major honors next season.
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