For Liverpool fans, the wait for a resolution to the transfer pursuit of Florian Wirtz continues.
Sky reporter Florian Plettenberg claimed over the weekend that ‘things could move very quickly’ on that front in the coming days, with a medical potentially taking place during the week, although some factors have held up a decisive breakthrough from being reached.
Monday was a public holiday in Germany for the celebration of Pfingstmontag, which could’ve contributed to a delay in making progress on the potential deal, while the Reds and Bayer Leverkusen have yet to reach consensus on a fee for the 22-year-old.
Liverpool are expected to soon submit a fourth bid for Wirtz to the tune of €140m (£118m) including add-ons (Bild), although that still comes up short of what the Bundesliga runners-up are demanding.
Liverpool not prepared to meet Leverkusen’s asking price for Wirtz
As reported by Gregg Evans for The Athletic‘s Transfer DealSheet on Tuesday morning, ‘negotiations are ongoing’ between the relevant parties, but the Reds have ‘no intention’ of bidding Leverkusen’s asking price of €150m (£126.4m) for the playmaker.
LFC had been hoping that their most recent offer of €134m (£113.4m) for the 22-year-old would’ve been enough to get the green light from the BayArena, but a breakthrough remains elusive.
Wirtz transfer remains delicately in the balance
It does feel as though we’re nearing a conclusion to Liverpool’s pursuit of Wirtz one way or the other, but the outcome remains precariously in the balance.
The Daily Mail’s Lewis Steele recently indicated that Leverkusen are holding out for £118m for the playmaker, a price point that the Reds could be willing to meet, so there’s still a strong chance that the transfer will come off, despite the delays causing some understandable tension among Kopites.
It’s natural that the Bundesliga side would dig their heels in to try and get the best possible deal for their star player, but there could be grounds for compromise given that the 22-year-old has repeatedly made it clear that he wants the move to Anfield.
If that wish is thwarted due to the club playing hardball, the BayArena hierarchy could risk antagonising Wirtz and might come to the conclusion that, all things considered, it may be for the best to extract the highest price that Liverpool are willing to pay for him and duly reinvest that throughout their squad.
In truth, this transfer was never likely to be as seamless as the capture of Jeremie Frimpong, whose release clause was readily met by the Premier League champions. It’ll take a little more patience for a breakthrough to come, but we remain confident that it eventually will.
