Florian Wirtz has completed his potentially record-breaking £116million transfer to Liverpool as the Reds look to take their summer spending spree beyond £200m. The German international underwent a two-day medical on Merseyside and completed his media duties before being officially unveiled by the club on Friday night.
Wirtz, 22, arrived in Liverpool on Thursday afternoon to begin the tests. He reported to the club’s training ground yesterday morning to complete the second part of the medical before the deal was officially approved. Liverpool will pay an initial £100m to Bayer Leverkusen, with the remainder due in add-ons linked to both the individual success of the player and the overall success of the team.
He has signed a five-year contract with the Reds and the fee even before add-ons breaks the club’s previous record of £85m paid to Benfica for Darwin Nunez in 2022.
If all the add-ons in the deal are met, it will exceed the £115m Chelsea paid Brighton for Moises Caicedo in 2023. Liverpool negotiated a fee lower than the £127m package that Leverkusen were initially holding out for.
Wirtz made it clear late last month that he wanted to move to Merseyside, after rejecting advances from Manchester City and Bayern Munich. Real Madrid also showed initial interest but decided to pursue other targets.
The £100m will be guaranteed but, like any modern deal, will be paid in instalments over several years, while the add-ons will be paid as and when they are triggered. This significant figure demonstrates the Anfield board’s belief in the potential of the uber-talented German both now and in the future.
Liverpool are set to spend over £200m this summer, with Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez to be the next arrival. A £40m deal has been agreed meaning the Reds have talked down the Cherries slightly from their £45m asking price.
The Reds have already secured the signing of Jeremie Frimpong from Leverkusen for £29.5m. Goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili is also set to join from Valencia for around £30m after spending last season on loan at the La Liga club.
However, Liverpool’s spending spree won’t stop there – they want a centre-back and a No.9 too. Defender Jarell Quansah is nearing a £35m move to Bayer Leverkusen, which could prompt the Premier League champions to pursue Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi.
A striker remains on Liverpool’s radar, particularly if Nunez leaves as anticipated. Newcastle’s Alexander Isak is highly regarded at Liverpool, among other clubs.
However, due to PSR rules, Newcastle are not under any pressure to sell, meaning it would require a significant shift in their stance to entertain offers, especially given their Champions League football commitments this season. The Magpies would hold out for around £150m for the Swede.