Liverpool are now considered favourites to sign Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz, with the player reported to favour a move to Anfield.
Upon the news on Liverpool’s interest in Wirtz breaking, the 22-year-old was considered more likely to join Bayern Munich over either the Reds or Man City.
But with Man City since pulling out of the running, The Athletic‘s David Ornstein now reports that Liverpool are the leading contenders for a record-breaking deal.
Ornstein, widely regarded as the top source for transfer news, wrote on Friday evening that Wirtz is “believed to favour Liverpool” and Bayern think he “is on track for a move to Anfield.”
He adds that Wirtz has looked at houses in the north west and that Bayern have been informed that his preference is Merseyside and not Munich.
It is maintained that while Liverpool have been given a “huge boost” in their pursuit, “they would still need to agree a deal with Leverkusen, which is not a formality given the finances involved.”
Reporter Matteo Moretto adds that Wirtz is now waiting for Leverkusen and Liverpool to “progress in the negotiation” process.
And in the latest update, German reporter Florian Plettenburg writes that Wirtz has “given FC Liverpool his verbal commitment today!”
How much would Florian Wirtz cost?
Leverkusen are reported to be seeking a fee in the region of €150 million (£126.5m), though Liverpool would almost certainly look to negotiate that down.
Reports in Germany claimed that Bayern were planning to offer closer to €100 million (£84m), and a fee in between those two valuations could be feasible.
Liverpool’s club-record signing remains Darwin Nunez, who swapped Benfica for Merseyside in an £85 million deal in 2022, but if Wirtz joins this summer the finances involved would exceed that.
In short, this is a huge update from Ornstein and comes as something of a surprise given the speed with which interest from Anfield has developed.
While Wirtz joining Arne Slot‘s squad cannot be considered a guarantee at this stage, the noises out of both England and Germany suggest it is more likely than not.
In fact the player has already “visited the north west of England to look for houses to live in,” according to Ornstein.
Meanwhile soon after Ornstein’s report, Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg claimed Bayern are considering moves for AC Milan‘s Rafael Leao and Brighton‘s Kauro Mitoma.
Leverkusen ended their campaign with a 2-2 draw at Mainz last weekend, with Xabi Alonso among those to bid farewell to supporters after the game.
Jeremie Frimpong, who is poised to join Liverpool for £29.5 million, was an unused substitute, and it could be that Wirtz was also saying his goodbyes in those post-match scenes at the Mewa Arena.
