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Liverpool sent 'really hard' Florian Wirtz transfer warning by Premier League legend

Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Emmanuel Petit has questioned if Florian Wirtz can live up to his hefty fee, with the midfielder on his way to the Premier League.

Wirtz is expected to complete a move to Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen over the next few weeks, though an official announcement is yet to be made.

While his former teammate Jeremie Frimpong has already sealed his switch to Anfield, Wirtz remains in Germany for the time being.

Liverpool is ready to break the bank for the talented midfielder, who played a crucial role in Leverkusen's historic unbeaten Bundesliga campaign under Xabi Alonso in 2023–24. The deal, including add-ons, is set to reach a Premier League record fee of $157 million (£116 million).

However speaking to talkSPORTBET, Petit has urged caution due to the pressure that would come with such a price tag. “When players cost such a huge amount of money, they can react in a bad way", said the 54-year-old.

“That can especially be the case when you leave your country and go to a new league with different football, the pressure from the price tag and the media can be really hard to cope with.

“The way Liverpool play could suit him, but for the fee? Is he worth that? I don’t know. But when you don’t want to sell a player you can tell an interested club to double their fee and sometimes they say yes. Only time will tell.”

Florian Wirtz

Emmanuel Petit worries Florian Wirtz won't live up to his hefty price tag (Image: Getty Images)

The Reds are looking to retain the Premier League title next season, however Petit believes Wirtz has been signed to help it achieve European glory.

He added: “Liverpool won the Premier League but fell against PSG when it was the favourites to win the Champions League.

“Keeping the Premier League crown will be their priority, but they will want to compete to win in Europe and I think that’s what signing Florian Wirtz is all about.

"He has shown great ability in the Bundesliga but also in Europe and with the Germany national team, he has motivation and so much quality, he can fit in perfectly behind the forwards in Liverpool’s system. I really like him as an attacking midfielder.”

Liverpool.com says: Florian Wirtz is undoubtedly one of the brightest young talents in Europe. At 22, he is already a regular for Germany, having made 31 appearances for his country and has been pivotal to Bayer Leverkusen's success in recent years.

The Premier League poses a different challenge and can be unforgiving. However he has the long-term potential to help the Reds achieve more silverware

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