You can expect to see the name Florian Wirtz printed on the back of many Liverpool fans' shirts come next season. The Reds are shattering the British transfer record by bringing the German attacker to Anfield in a reported €150m (£127m) including add-ons deal.
If the transfer were to reach that fee, he'd currently be the third most expensive player in football history. This brings with it a ton of pressure to succeed and can go one of two ways, as seen when Joao Felix failed to live up to expectations following a £113m move from Benfica to Atletico Madrid in 2019.
Wirtz once surprised many by suggesting he looked up to Felix after studying his game and developing into a similar attacker. But the Portuguese, who many had tipped to become a future Ballon d'Or winner, wasn't the only modern-day star whom the 22-year-old idolised growing up.
Wirtz's Ballon d'Or Bound 'Idol'
The soon-to-be Liverpool star had posters of him in his room
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Footballers of Wirtz's age group often name Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as their childhood idols. The legendary pair have dominated world football over the past decade and a half, battling it out on the Ballon d'Or stage throughout their rivalry.
The 31-cap Germany international does hold Messi in high regard. It's hard to ignore his eight Ballons d'Or and how he captured the hearts of fans around the globe with his 2022 World Cup heroics.
Yet, he explained why another former Barcelona star, only six years his elder, was his idol when asked by the Bundesliga's media team about the first time a famous person followed him on Instagram:
"Ousmane Dembele. He was one of my idols when I was younger, I directly followed him back."
Wirtz's comments came just two months before Ousmane Dembele helped fire Paris Saint-Germain to UEFA Champions League glory for the first time in the club's history. The French winger has been outstanding under Luis Enrique this season, finally living up to expectations.
Dembele's career appeared to be headed towards unfulfilled potential before his exploits in 2024-25. He became the fourth most expensive player in history when he joined Barca from Borussia Dortmund for £135.5m in August 2017.
Many envisioned the Frenchman would take the baton from Messi and become a talisman at Camp Nou. That didn't happen due to recurring injury problems and off-the-field drama, which largely led to a controversial £43.5m switch to Paris in 2023.
Wirtz appeared to stick with the Vernon-born attacker during the hard times, though, stating in 2022 (via Tribuna):
"I've actually had a few posters hanging in the room. Lionel Messi, Ousmane Dembele and (Pierre-Emerick) Aubameyang, for example."
Dembele's slow start to life in the French capital led to scrutiny over his decision to leave Barca and whether he'd ever win over his doubters. The Parisians needed him to step up following Kylian Mbappe's departure to Real Madrid, and he did that and more.
The 28-year-old hasn't just been PSG's top scorer, gelled seamlessly with fellow attackers Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue, and become a leader in a young dressing room. He has ascended to the top of the Ballon d'Or race and is the favourite to claim the award in September.
Ousmane Dembele's 2024-25 Season
Competition:
Appearances:
Goals:
Assists:
Trophies Won:
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'Without a Shadow of a Doubt’ - Luis Enrique Asked to Name Ballon d’Or 2025 Winner
The PSG boss called his choice a "leader".
Jurgen Klopp Was 'Obsessed' With Dembele
The German reportedly wanted him at Liverpool
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Wirtz is set to join a star-studded Liverpool team boasting world-class names such as Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk. Fans will be excited to see how he fares at Anfield, but perhaps none more so than fellow countryman Jurgen Klopp.
The legendary former Reds boss pulled off many high-profile acquisitions during his time in charge, but missed out on Dembele. He never worked with the Frenchman, including at Dortmund, as he left the Bundesliga side a year before the winger arrived at Signal Iduna Park in 2016.
Mohamed Bouhafi (via Sports Illustrated) reported in 2018 that Klopp was 'obsessed' with Dembele and wanted to sign him on loan a year into his Barca move. It was said that the German was 'frustrated' because he didn't get the chance to manage him in Germany.
Dembele never made the move to Anfield but left his mark there this season. He scored a vital equaliser in a last-16 Champions League clash between PSG and Liverpool to send the tie to penalties before scoring in a shootout win. He's one of many who were touted as Salah replacements before the Egyptian penned a new deal.
All statistics courtesy ofTransfermarkt - correct as of 11.06.2025
Ousmane Dembele Related
PSG’s Ousmane Dembele Named His 6 Football Idols - Included Heroic Liverpool Duo
Dembele was a fan of two Liverpool legends and he could have played alongside one.