Florian Wirtz is set to officially join Liverpool on Friday, following a medical examination to finalize his record transfer from Bayer Leverkusen.
The German international is heading to Merseyside for the standard health checks and, all going well, the Reds will confirm his record-breaking arrival before the weekend. Liverpool initially broached the subject of Wirtz during negotiations over Jeremie Frimpong, whose release clause was activated last month, with his official transfer completed on June 1.
However, discussions regarding Wirtz's situation intensified when the 22-year-old expressed his desire to join the Premier League champions on May 23, effectively ruling out Bayern Munich, who had already seen Manchester City withdraw earlier in the month.
Sporting director Richard Hughes spearheaded the negotiations with his Bayer counterpart Simon Rolfes, who regularly consulted with managing director Fernando Carro throughout the process.
An initial bid of $146 million (£109 million) was rejected last month, but a subsequent offer of $153 million (£114 million) brought the two clubs closer to an agreement. The deal was finally sealed last week when terms were agreed on a $156 million (£116 million) transfer.
Liverpool will pay an upfront fee of $134 million (£100 million) for Wirtz, with an additional $21 million (£16 million) in add-ons contingent on Anfield successes. Reports suggest that the attacking midfielder will sign a five-year contract worth approximately $270k (£200k) per week.
Florian Wirtz is set to complete his Liverpool medical this week
Florian Wirtz is set to complete his Liverpool medical this week (Image: Getty Images)
While these figures are slightly higher than what Liverpool would typically offer a new first-team player, they seem more realistic than recent German reports suggesting the forward would be earning a base salary closer to top earner Mohamed Salah, who signed the most lucrative deal in Merseyside history in April.
There were rumors that Wirtz might ink a six-year contract, allowing Liverpool to spread the cost of the staggering, record-breaking fee over an additional term. For instance, Alisson Becker signed a six-year deal when he transferred from Roma for $87 million (£65 million), and Darwin Nunez did the same following his initial $84 million (£64 million) move from Benfica three years prior.
However, it's anticipated that former Koln prodigy Wirtz will commit until 2030. The forward is seen as being on par with £75m Virgil van Dijk and Alisson, two players who spearheaded the pursuit of major trophies after joining in 2018.
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Wirtz, who has been holidaying with ex-Leverkusen teammate and future Reds comrade Jeremie Frimpong this week, is expected to continue his break before reporting to the AXA Training Centre on 7 July for pre-season training. Both players' unofficial debuts could occur when the Reds kick off their pre-season fixtures at Preston North End on 13 July.
The high-profile transfer is not seen within the club as a deviation from the stringent self-sustaining policy set by owners Fenway Sports Group. Instead, it's viewed as a transfer made possible due to the discipline demonstrated since the summer transfer window of 2023.
Liverpool only spent a modest sum last summer to bring Federico Chiesa into its squad, making them the Premier League's most frugal spenders for the 24/25 season. The deal for Wirtz merely elevates them to eighth place in terms of expenditure since the start of the decade in the top flight.