Liverpool have agreed a deal in principle to sign Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz when the transfer window reopens on Monday, with the Reds set to pay a total of £116million for the Germany star
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Liverpool have agreed a deal to sign Florian Wirtz
(Image: Sebastian El-Saqqa - firo sportphoto, Getty Images)
At last. After much back and forth between the two clubs, with both wanting to look like they got the better end of the deal, Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen have finally managed to do what everyone knew they would: Agreed a deal for the transfer of Florian Wirtz.
The Germany international became Liverpool's No.1 summer target last month, held talks with Kop officials and head coach Arne Slot, was suitably impressed by the Dutchman's plans for him and the club's training facilities, and promptly made clear to Manchester City and Bayern Munich - who had spent almost two years of public grandstanding courting his signature - that he ONLY wanted to move to Anfield.
In essence, that made an agreement a certainty. The only question was how it would be shaken out.
Bayer Leverkusen haven't wanted to give up their prized asset easily. Duly, they have rejected three offers for the 22-year-old, setting their stall out that they wanted to get as close to their £126million asking price as possible.
Privately, Liverpool have repeated that they wanted the deal done but wouldn't be going near that price. And with their fourth bid, they've managed just that.
READ MORE: Florian Wirtz transfer details as Liverpool agree record deal to finally land top targetREAD MORE: Liverpool agree eye-watering Florian Wirtz transfer after Bayer Leverkusen drop asking price
The Reds will pay an initial guaranteed £100million to sign Wirtz this summer. A further £16m will be paid in add-ons - potentially making it the Premier League's biggest-ever transfer.
Already Liverpool fans are eagerly awaiting Wirtz's debut in a Liverpool shirt, seeing how he will line up in Slot's lineup alongside the likes of Mo Salah, Luis Diaz and Dominic Szoboszlai; will it be as a false nine, a No.10, from the flanks darting in?
Potentially, they won't have long to wait. The Reds first team stars are due to return to the club's AXA Training Centre on July for the first day of pre-season training. With Wirtz having played his last match of the season for Germany on June 8, there's an expectation that he will indeed be there on opening day.
Six days later, their first summer friendly takes place, at Deepdale, against Preston North End on July 13. That may very well be the first opportunity to see the German starlet in action for his new club.
Following that, Liverpool will jet off to Hong Kong for a pre-season friendly against AC Milan. Their next stop will be Japan, where they'll face Yokohama F. Marinos before returning to the UK. Liverpool's last pre-season matches of the summer will be a two-part series against Athletic Bilbao at Anfield.
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