Liverpool have agreed a British-record deal to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen after the two clubs finally reached an agreement on a £116million fee
08:00, 14 Jun 2025
MUNICH, GERMANY - JUNE 04: Florian Wirtz of Germany celebrates his team's first goal during the UEFA Nations League 2025 semifinal match between Germany and Portugal at Munich Football Arena on June 04, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Marvin Ibo Guengoer - GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)
Liverpool have agreed a fee to sign Florian Wirtz(Image: Marvin Ibo Guengoer - GES Sportfoto, Getty Images)
Liverpool are set to break the British transfer record with a £116million swoop for Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz.
The Reds have finally reached an agreement after several failed bids, beating off competition from Bayern Munich and Manchester City. In recent weeks, the Premier League champions have had a clear run at Wirtz and have now sealed the deal with the Bundesliga side.
Arne Slot has been on the front foot in the transfer market, already securing Jeremie Frimpong from Leverkusen as a replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold.
But Liverpool's spending spree is unlikely to stop with Wirtz, as their summer outlay could surpass £200m as they continue to scout potential recruits across all squad areas. Here the Daily Star Sport looks at the latest Liverpool transfer news.
Details of Wirtz Deal
Liverpool have agreed to pay a guaranteed £100m, which is more than they've ever shelled out for a single player, even with add-ons. However, the total cost of the deal will exceed the £115m that Chelsea paid Brighton for Moises Caicedo in 2023.
STUTTGART, GERMANY - JUNE 8: Florian Wirtz of Germany gestures ahead of the UEFA Nations League 2025 third place match between Germany and France at Stuttgart Arena on June 8, 2025 in Stuttgart, Germany. (Photo by Sebastian El-Saqqa - firo sportphoto/Getty Images)
Wirtz will cost Liverpool a British record fee(Image: Sebastian El-Saqqa - firo sportphoto, Getty Images)
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This demonstrates the confidence within Anfield in the German international's current and future potential, with those who have closely followed his career convinced there's still significant room for improvement for a player who contributed to 30 goals last season.
It appears to be a complex deal for the 22-year-old, typical of today's market for top players. Although the transfer window shut its doors until next week, clubs are still working behind the scenes to wrap up agreements and conduct medical checks. The official announcement is expected next week.
Frankfurt warning on Ekitike
As leading Premier League sides circle around Hugo Ekitike, Frankfurt's chief Markus Krosche has issued a stark warning that they are in no rush to sell the highly rated striker, despite interests from teams like Liverpool and Chelsea valuing the French player at £85 million.
FREIBURG IM BREISGAU, GERMANY - MAY 17: Hugo Ekitike of Eintracht Frankfurt celebrates after the third goal during the Bundesliga match between Sport-Club Freiburg and Eintracht Frankfurt at Europa-Park Stadion on May 17, 2025 in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany. (Photo by Sebastian El-Saqqa - firo sportphoto/Getty Images)
Hugo Ekitike is highly rated(Image: Sebastian El-Saqqa - firo sportphoto, Getty Images)
Krosche made it clear while speaking to Wiesbadener Kurier: "If the price isn't right, then he'll just stay with us. We don't have to sell Hugo."
The Bundesliga side already bid farewell to one talent this January as Omar Marmoush joined Man City in a £59 million deal. Frankfurt are keen on Mainz striker Jonathan Burkardt to potentially lead the line with Ekitike in a deal potentially worth more than £25 million.
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Liverpool Wirtz lure
Wirtz was drawn by the promise of a pivotal role in Anfield's midfield, according to German football expert Constantin Eckner, who revealed to BBC Sport the deciding factor for Wirtz's move, highlighting coach Arne Slot’s tailored vision of the young ace as Liverpool's playmaker.
"Of course Mohamed Salah is still there, but how many more years will he play for Liverpool? His days are somewhat numbered. Then, Wirtz will be the centerpiece of the Reds attacking system."