Liverpool have reportedly agreed a British-record £116.5 million deal to sign Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz, according to Sky Sports News.
The 22-year-old has long been on our radar, with Arne Slot pushing hard to bring the German international to Anfield ahead of our Premier League title defence.
The total package is said to be worth £116.5 million (€137.5m), consisting of a guaranteed £100 million and a further £16.5 million in potential add-ons.
Crucially, Wirtz is now free to speak directly with us, and Sky Sports News add that “personal terms are not expected to be a problem.”
Our pursuit of the Leverkusen talisman has been one of the summer’s most persistent sagas, and it now appears a huge step has been taken to get the deal over the line.
The attacking midfielder produced 16 goals and 15 assists in 45 appearances last season, helping Leverkusen finish second in the Bundesliga.
Wirtz would become Liverpool’s most expensive player ever
This record-breaking move would eclipse the £111 million bid we lodged for Moises Caicedo two summers ago — a deal that ultimately collapsed when the midfielder chose Chelsea.
Now, though, we look set to land one of Europe’s most exciting talents, and there will be huge excitement about what this means for the shape of our midfield going forward.
A deal of this magnitude also explains the earlier low-fee departure of Caoimhin Kelleher, which was reportedly linked to smoothing negotiations for the 22-year-old.
Our head coach is clearly building a side with serious long-term goals, and Wirtz looks like the kind of marquee signing who can help us dominate at home and abroad.
With Luis Diaz’s future still up in the air and Harvey Elliott pushing for more minutes, this is a squad being built with depth and flexibility in mind.
Now that talks are progressing, it will be up to the club to move swiftly to finalise terms and avoid any last-minute hitches.
This could be the transfer that defines our summer — and perhaps, our next era.
