Liverpool agree potential British record fee with Bayer Leverkusen for Florian Wirtz
Andy Hunter
Liverpool have agreed a fee with Bayer Leverkusen for Florian Wirtz. The German will join the Premier League champions in an £100m deal plus £16m in potential add-ons that would make Wirtz the most expensive British transfer of all time, eclipsing Chelsea’s £115m purchase of Moises Caicedo.
He will undergo a medical and finalise the transfer in the coming days. Personal terms have already been agreed.
Key events
A possible British transfer record is nothing to scoff at but the fact Liverpool only spent around £10m on Federico Chiesa last summer combined with the finances that come with winning the Premier League, means the club seem to be happy to spend big to support Arne Slot.
With Trent Alexander-Arnold leaving the club, there are likely concerns about where Liverpool’s creative output comes from. While the two do not play the same position, Wirtz can fill help bridge that gap as a player who can progress the ball forward effectively.
Liverpool’s pursuit of Florian Wirtz has been no secret. The club fought off interest from Manchester City and Bayern Munich with the German only wanting to join Arne Slot’s side. Wirtz, who can play across the frontline, is one of the most coveted players in Europe and was understood to be impressed by Liverpool’s plans.
The 22-year-old has spent his entire senior career at Bayer Leverkusen. He was instrumental in breaking the chokehold Munich have on the Bundesliga by helping his side win their first ever league title and the DFB-Pokal in 2023-24 with 18 goals and 19 assists in 47 games, showing no signs of his ACL injury in 2022 being an issue.
Last season, Leverkusen finished runners-up to the German giants and Wirtz managed 16 goals and 14 assists in all competitions. According to Opta, only Mohamed Salah (18) and Lamine Yamal (13) recorded more than his 12 assists from open play among players from Europe’s top five leagues.
With the fee agreed between the two clubs Liverpool is now free to speak to Wirtz to agree on personal terms.
Liverpool agree potential British record fee with Bayer Leverkusen for Florian Wirtz
Andy Hunter
Liverpool have agreed a fee with Bayer Leverkusen for Florian Wirtz. The German will join the Premier League champions in an £100m deal plus £16m in potential add-ons that would make Wirtz the most expensive British transfer of all time, eclipsing Chelsea’s £115m purchase of Moises Caicedo.
He will undergo a medical and finalise the transfer in the coming days. Personal terms have already been agreed.
The Club World Cup starts on Sunday and has already been controversial because of extra fixtures and Fifa involvement. Add on that temperatures in US are likely to be above 30C and whew.
Notable heat events are not guaranteed during the Club World Cup but they are more likely to happen than in the past because of climate breakdown and there is a question over whether enough is being done to adapt to a new reality. The sole reference to extreme weather in Fifa’s regulations for the Club World Cup relates to the use of cooling breaks, which allow players to take on extra fluids once in each half if the wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) (a measure of heat stress that includes humidity and air movement) exceeds 32C on the pitch. This is the protocol in place since 2014, and for the international players’ union, FifPro, it is insufficient. It argues that the threshold for cooling breaks should be between 28C and 32C under the WBGT, with options for a second drinks break per half. If the heat rises above 32C, FifPro argues, matches should be rescheduled.
Read more from Paul MacInnes below.
First is today’s Rumour Mill with Will Unwin detailing a possible move to Aston Villa for Alejandro Garnacho (à la Marcus Rashford) while Manchester United and Liverpool continue their search for a No 9.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to our weekend football countdown! The season may be over but the Big Wheel O’Football is still spinning as fast as ever.
We are a couple days away from the opening fixture of the Club World Cup, and a lot is riding on the tournament’s financial success for Fifa’s Gianni Infantino.
Plus transfer moves and managerial changes are in full swing. Last night Tottenham confirmed Ange Postecoglou’s successor: Thomas Frank. How will he fare for the north London side? Where does it leave Brentford, the club he was at for nine years?
Join me for all the build-up, latest news and analysis and, as always, feel free to send me an email with your thoughts, questions and grievances.
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