Florian Wirtz is set to become a Liverpool player
Florian Wirtz.
Florian Wirtz has reportedly landed in England as he closes in on Liverpool transfer.
Florian Wirtz has been spotted landing in the UK ahead of his move to Liverpool. It was confirmed last week that the Reds have agreed a £116 million deal with Bayer Leverkusen to sign the 22-year-old in what could become the most expensive British transfer ever.
The Reds had two bids rejected, the last one of £113m, which would have seen £100m paid up front with performance-related add-ons, but have finally got the deal over the line. Wirtz had been on holiday but was spotted boarding a private jet at Cologne Bonn airport.
Then, a couple of hours later, the private jet was spotted landing at Manchester Airport.
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The playmaker posed with former Leverkusen teammate Jeremie Frimpong - who will adorn the famous Liverpool red next season – as they finished off their holiday before returning for pre-season, where they will take in new surroundings at the Premier League champions.
The move to the Premier League for Wirtz hasn't been received particularly well by certain factions of figures in Germany.
Bayern Munich were favourites to sign the talented attacker before Liverpool swooped in to land his signature; Hans-Joachim Watzke, chief at Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund, branded the move as a "real shame".
"It's a real shame, especially for the DFL (German Football League), that a player like Florian Wirtz is disappearing from the Bundesliga," he said.
"I wouldn't have had a problem at all if he had gone to FC Bayern.
"That would have been better for the Bundesliga.
"He could have played better with Musiala in Munich, but two such good footballers find each other anyway."
The ECHO reported on Thursday that the blockbuster transfer is not being viewed internally as a departure from the club's strict self-sustaining policy, imposed by owners Fenway Sports Group.
Instead, it is seen as a transfer that has been facilitated thanks to the discipline shown since the summer transfer window of 2023.