As Liverpool look set to eclipse their club record transfer fee to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, many fans may remember the leaked text FSG sent to Jurgen Klopp
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10:07, 13 Jun 2025
Liverpool owner John W Henry on the phone next to his wife Linda Pizzuti Henry in the Anfield stands for Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur, Premier League, 27 Apr 2025
A single text message from the Liverpool owners sums up how far they have come
(Image: Kieran McManus/REX/Shutterstock)
With Liverpool on the verge of shattering their record transfer fee to sign Florian Wirtz, supporters may remember a leaked text from Fenway Sports Group. The Reds recently submitted a bid of £100milllion plus £14m of add-ons to Bayer Leverkusen, and while negotiations are still ongoing, they remain confident of wrapping up a deal.
The Merseysiders are doing all they can to bring in the 22-year-old Germany international. And his arrival would dwarf their previous transfer record, which saw them spend £75m on Virgil van Dijk in the 2018 January transfer window.
Wirtz is widely admired around Europe and was heavily linked with Manchester City and Bayern Munich. His likely arrival is a statement of intent from owners FSG, who were often reluctant to spent £100m in a single transfer window, let alone on one player.
Not long ago, the club's fanbase were repeatedly accusing FSG of being too scared to break the bank to sign top-class players. The seemingly imminent arrival of Wirtz is a clear sign that the purse strings are no longer as tight.
It is a huge boost to Liverpool fans who were often frustrated by the likes of fierce rivals Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea comfortably out-spending them.
In his early years at the club, former manager Jurgen Klopp defended the ownership in press conferences and interviews. But behind the scenes, the German was making it clear that extra investment in the squad was vital if they wanted to lift the big trophies.
When Klopp arrived at Liverpool, the Reds were in 10th place and had an ageing squad. Unhappy with the players at his disposal, Klopp received an apologetic text from the FSG bosses.
In 2021, Klopp revealed: "At the beginning I received a message from the US saying, 'Sorry for the squad we've given you.' But all was good I replied, it just needs time.”
Liverpool's manager Jurgen Klopp and club owner John W Henry during the opening of the new stand and facilities at Anfield on September 9, 2016 in Liverpool, England.
The Liverpool board apologised to Klopp for the state of the first squad he inherited
Two years after revealing that text, Klopp watched his Liverpool side be convincingly beaten 5-2 at home by Real Madrid. It was the kind of chastening defeat which prompts action in the next transfer window.
The previous month, Klopp publicly warned that Liverpool will need to be more aggressive in the transfer window or they will fall behind their Premier League and European rivals. He said: "I believe in coaching, I believe in developing, I believe in team-building and using those things 100%.
"But meanwhile in the world out there the managers are really good. There are so many good managers out there it's crazy. So they believe in that as well, and if they start really properly spending and do those things as well, then you cannot not spend or you will have a little bit of a problem."
Arne Slot, Manger of Liverpool, embraces Liverpool principle owner John Henry as they celebrate the teams victory and confirmation of winning the Premier League title after the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Anfield on April 27, 2025 in Liverpool, England
The club are now heavily backing Slot in the transfer window
In Klopp's final summer transfer window they fully took on Klopp's advice, as they rebuilt their midfield by signing Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo for a combined £155m. After Klopp walked away, many were surprised that Arne Slot was only able to sign Federico Chiesa in his first two transfer windows.
But after winning the Premier League, FSG have shown the kind of spending intent usually seen by City, United and Chelsea. The way in which they have quickly moved for Wirtz highlights FSG's proactiveness, and that they are no longer afraid to break the bank to sign a potential game-changer.
Full-back Jeremie Frimpong has already arrived this summer for £29.5m, while £45m Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez looks likely to arrive too, so Liverpool are clearly looking to build on their title triumph from Slot's first season.
And it's a stark contract from the text message they left for Klopp all those years ago.
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