If Richard Hughes were to take a cross-section of German football fans at their word, the Liverpool sporting director would be dropping everything to make Bayer Leverkusen an offer that they simply couldn’t refuse!
Florian Wirtz isn’t a Reds player just yet but, judging by a series of reports from trusted sources, the direction of travel is very much towards Anfield for the 22-year-old. There have even been claims from his homeland that the prospective transfer is ‘99% done‘.
The playmaker was in action for his country on Wednesday night as they took on Portugal in the UEFA Nations League semi-finals, and the Daily Mail sent their Merseyside football correspondent Lewis Steele to Munich for the game.
He sounded out a number of German supporters to get a flavour of the perception of Wirtz in his native country, and it’d be an understatement to proclaim that many of the reviews were glowing.
German football fans besotted with Wirtz
A Borussia Dortmund supporter who was interviewed along with his colleague hailed the Leverkusen star as ‘the best player in the world’, with one of them employing some industrial language for added emphasis.
Another fan exclaimed: “At Liverpool, he will be the number one player. You will love him, I swear to God.”
A further testimony has forecast him winning the sport’s ultimate individual honour: “His dribbling is amazing. He is fantastic, technically good. He can shimmy past other players. Of course he will be a good signing for Liverpool. I think he can win the Ballon d’Or in the next few years.”
Liverpool could be getting a genuine global star if they sign Wirtz
Football fans can be privy to grandiose statements about players who represent their club and/or nation, but the responses from the cross-section of Germany supporters that Steele interviewed would suggest that Wirtz could be destined for global greatness if he comes to Anfield.
It isn’t just ticket-buying devotees of the sport who’ve been championing the 22-year-old, either. Maxi Koch (chief reporter for the Abendzeitung newspaper) said that the Leverkusen star is reminiscent of Andres Iniesta, while German football expert and former Bild correspondent Heiko Niedderer hailed him as a ‘complete’ player who ‘can do everything’ (Daily Mail).
The two journalists also spoke of how the ‘intelligent’ Liverpool target excels at controlling the game, and is proficient as both a creator and scorer of goals, an appraisal which is validated by his return of 57 goals and 65 assists in 197 appearances for his current club.
The Reds have already had two offers for Wirtz turned down, the second of which amounted to £109m. Considering that LFC’s record signing at present is Darwin Nunez for £85m (if all add-ons are triggered), that illustrates the extent of their faith in the Germany international to be a difference-maker for Arne Slot’s side.
It takes something special to win the Ballon d’Or, as Mo Salah will testify from the prize eluding him despite his historic goalscoring return at Anfield, but if our seemingly incoming playmaker can take home that honour while playing for Liverpool, it’d indicate that every penny which may be spent on him could prove to be worth it.
