Following two weeks of negotiations between the clubs, it appears Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen have reached an agreement that seals the signing of the 22-year-old German superstar attacker for the Reds in a deal that could reach €150M.
That’s the latest after news broke via multiple sources that Leverkusen had held firm on their valuation and that the Reds had chosen to meet it, though it is believed in order to hit the full figure a number of difficult add-ons would have to be triggered.
It’s also perhaps worth noting that news of an agreed fee appears to be coming from the Leverkusen side of negotiations and is likely then to be presented in as favourable a light as possible, so it will be interesting to see how Liverpool seek to frame it.
Regardless, it’s a hefty fee. Gargantuan, even. In Liverpool’s local currency, it’s a transfer fee that could in the end reach £127M—and that’s without accounting for wages reportedly in the £350k per week range along with any additional agent fees.
Previous bids, all rejected by Leverkusen, saw Liverpool push as high as £113M (€134M), making a rise to £127M (€150M) significant, though transfers with “difficult” add-ons could mean Champions Leagues and Ballon d’Ors would be needed to hit it.
Given the fee and Wirtz’ quality—and upside, given he’s still just 22 years of age—it seems a safe bet the Reds and manager Arne Slot will seek to build the attack around Wirtz and Mohamed Salah first, with the rest of the squad fitting in around that.
Perhaps the only question is if he plays as a more traditional ten in support of a traditional striker or if Wirtz takes on a slightly more advanced role alongside a less traditional striker—be it a shifted winger or midfielder playing as another ten or false nine.
Wirtz is one of the first names on the teamsheet for the German national team and at the club level won the Bundesliga and Pokal Cup with Leverkusen in 2023-24 while taking numerous awards as the best player and best young player in Germany.