Florian Wirtz traveled to his Liverpool medical in luxurious style as the Bayer Leverkusen star edges closer to completing his blockbuster move to Anfield.
The German playmaker is on the verge of joining the Reds in a $157 million transfer, flying from Cologne, Germany, to Manchester on Thursday, landing at 4:41 p.m. local time. From there, he headed to Merseyside to complete the first part of his medical, and the deal could be officially announced by the clubs on Friday.
It appears not expense was spared to ensure the 22-year-old and his parents, Hans and Karin, were given the superstar treatment by the Reds.
Images of the private jet he boarded to travel to the UK have been shared online, showing off the glamorous perks that come with signing for one of the biggest clubs on the planet.
The aircraft is registered to Global Jet Luxembourg and remains in Manchester after touching down on Thursday, and images posted to social media show off the sleek interior and supreme comfort afforded to passengers.
Each passenger has their own brown leather armchair, and there are personal TV screens to stay entertained during longer trips, and there are folding wooden tables that could have come in handy to go through any final pieces of paperwork before the deal is completed.
There is also a kitchen area accessible to passengers, with hot drinks and smoothies among the beverages on offer.
The Wirtz deal, when completed, will dwarf Liverpool's previous biggest spend, the initial $98 million paid for Darwin Nunez in 2022.
Wirtz is a 31-cap Germany international, with seven goals to his name.
The attacking midfielder was among the best players in the Bundesliga last season, boasting a record of 10 goals and 13 assists in 31 appearances for Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen.
Wirtz played a prominent role in Leverkusen's sensational unbeaten Bundesliga triumph in 2023/24; a season that also included winning the DFB-Pokal and a runner-up finish in the Europa League.
He is set to become the second Leverkusen player to join Liverpool this summer after the arrival of Dutch right-back Jeremie Frimpong last month.
The Reds are also closing in on the signing of left-back Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth, while center-back Jarell Quansah is on the verge of joining Leverkusen in a move separate from the Wirtz and Frimpong deals.
The imminent signing of Wirtz, though, is a particularly significant coup, beating Germany's dominant force, Bayern Munich, to his signature.