By Michael Davey
Premier League champions Liverpool have reportedly agreed a record transfer fee of £116.5 million for Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz.
The deal, which includes £16.5m in potential add-ons, surpasses the £85m paid by the Reds for previous record signing Darwin Nunez and will moreover top Chelsea’s British-record £115m outlay for Moises Caicedo if settled in full.
Personal terms between player and club are yet to be agreed but not expected to be an issue.
Wirtz joins former Leverkusen teammate Jeremie Frimpong at Anfield after the Dutch international joined Arne Slot’s side in a £29.5m deal last month.
Robertson hails ‘exciting talent’
Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson has revealed his excitement over the signing of Wirtz in an interview with Sky Sports at a golf day fundraiser.
“He was excellent against us [in the Champions League]. He was the one causing problems in the half-space, running in behind; he can mix it up,” the Scot recalled.
“That was enough for me to see he’s going to be a top player. In the Germany team against us [at Euro 2024] he was excellent.
“If we get him through, [that’s] an exciting talent through the door. We have already got a lot of exciting talent. He’s a right good player and he’ll only help us.
“If he does get through the door, we’ll be excited to play with him.”
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Wirtz a ‘game-changer’
Marco Neppe, a former technical director at Bayern Munich, spoke to Sky Sports about why the Bavarians were so keen to sign the talented 22-year-old.
“Florian Wirtz – he is a different player,” Neppe explained.
“It is the combination. His willingness. He is so brave. His skillset is dangerous for every opponent. He can change the momentum of a game just by having an idea nobody expects and suddenly everything is different.
“He is a game-changer.”
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Geoffrey H. Latayan