Liverpool have agreed a fee of €136.3million (£116m) to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen.

The fee is comprised of a €117.5m (£100m) upfront fee with a further €18.8m (£16m) in add-ons, with Wirtz expected to sign a five-year deal at Anfield.

It represents a club record fee for Liverpool and a potential British record transfer, should the add-ons be activated.

The Athletic reported on June 6 that Liverpool had submitted an improved offer of €134million (£113m) for the Leverkusen playmaker, following Liverpool’s €130m (£109m) approach for the 22-year-old the previous week.

Liverpool had not intended to meet Leverkusen’s reported asking price of €150m for Wirtz, whose contract at the German club runs through to 2027.

The discussions — led by Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes and Leverkusen managing director of sport Simon Rolfes — had been mainly focused on the structure and specifically payment terms, plus the nature of any add-ons.

Wirtz was also targeted by Bayern Munich this summer, but the Bundesliga champions were informed in May that the playmaker favoured a move to Liverpool. He visited the north west of England to look for a property to live in, should his move to England proceed.

The German midfielder recorded 16 goals and 15 assists in 45 matches last season as Leverkusen finished second in the Bundesliga and reached the Champions League round of 16, where they were defeated by Bayern. In the previous campaign, Wirtz played an instrumental role in securing his side’s maiden German top-flight title with an unbeaten domestic season, alongside reaching the Europa League final.

He scored 18 goals and assisted 20 in 49 matches, earning the Bundesliga player of the season accolade.

Communication between Liverpool and Leverkusen had been opened early in the summer transfer window as the English club met the €35million (£29.6m; $39.3m) release clause for Jeremie Frimpong. The signing of the Dutch wing-back, on a five-year contract, was announced on May 30 following the departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid ahead of the Club World Cup.

Additional reporting by Sebastian Stafford-Bloor

Analysis by Mark Carey

Arne Slot has most commonly used Dominik Szoboszlai as Liverpool’s attacking midfielder in his first season as Liverpool head coach, but the Hungary international has not necessarily shown all the traits you would typically associate with a player in that position.

Szoboszlai has been a crucial cog in Slot’s system, but as much for his off-ball energy in and out of possession as any of his qualities with the ball at his feet.

Underlapping runs have been a crucial part of Liverpool’s attacking play this season, with Szoboszlai’s selfless running dragging opposition defenders with him — making space for the wingers to come inside and swing in back-post crosses to an onrushing team-mate.

While his selfless running is valuable, a return of six Premier League goals and seven assists from 36 league appearances suggests there is room for improvement in Szoboszlai’s attacking output — something Slot called out early on.

Wirtz’s basic attacking numbers are stronger, with 21 goals and 25 assists in the Bundesliga since the start of last season illustrating greater potency at the sharp end of the pitch, albeit while playing in a different league.

They are different types of footballers. Wirtz is focused more on the micro, with delicate touches and deft flicks, compared to Szoboszlai’s macro traits of energy and power. Both skill sets have their place depending on the opposition — if he joined them, Wirtz’s close control and ball-carrying would add another dimension to Liverpool’s attack rather than transform it.

Wirtz’s ability to play anywhere across the front line would add an extra layer of versatility to Slot’s tactical setup, allowing him to rotate his attacking options during and between games without any decrease in quality. Whether dropping into pockets against deep blocks, pulling wide to evade his marker, or carrying the ball upfield single-handedly, Wirtz can do a bit of everything.

Slot’s first season has seen Liverpool scoring through their wide players rather than depending on a centre-forward. Wirtz could fit brilliantly into that mould, alleviating the need to sign a top striker, a notoriously difficult market. Given his youth, he could also help Liverpool prepare for life after Salah, who turns 33 this month.

(Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)