Staff Reporter.
Premier League champions Liverpool have agreed a £116m deal to sign Germany attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen.
The 22-year-old, who has become one of the most coveted players in world football during in his time at Bayer Leverkusen, was a target for Real Madrid, Manchester City and Bayern Munich, though Arne Slot’s side quickly moved to the front of the race for his signature.
Wirtz, who was an integral part of Leverkusen’s undefeated run to a Bundesliga title in 2023/24, has scored 57 goals in 197 games for the club, as well as seven goals in 31 appearances for his national side.
The fee for the 22-year-old includes a guaranteed £100m and a further £16m in add-ons.Those bonus payments would only become payable if the Reds achieve a sustained level of success.
He will undergo a medical in the coming days and finalise the transfer once the window reopens next week.
Wirtz is set to become the second player Liverpool have bought from Bayer Leverkusen this summer, with right full-back Jeremie Frimpong having arrived in a £34m deal.
The Reds have also made a move for Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez, with talks taking place about a deal of between £45m-£50m.
Liverpool, having won the 2024-25 Premier League title in manager Arne Slot’s first season, have sought to bolster their squad – and the level of their outlay is believed to have been helped by limiting their spending in previous transfer windows.