Latest Liverpool transfer news as Jermaine Pennant delivers his verdict on Florian Wirtz
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Florian Wirtz has been linked with a move to Liverpool
Florian Wirtz has been linked with a move to Liverpool
(Image: Getty Images)
Former Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant has admitted he is 'not amazed' by the prospect of his old club signing Florian Wirtz this summer. The ECHO reported on Thursday morning that the Reds are prepared to go head-to-head with both Manchester City and Bayern Munich to sign the German international this summer.
Liverpool reached out to Wirtz's representatives and have been informed to expect competition from City and Bayern. The 22-year-old has scored 16 goals and added 15 assists in 46 matches across all competitions this season.
German publication BILD reported yesterday that Wirtz and his parents are pushing to ensure he departs Bayer Leverkusen this summer.
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But when asked if Wirtz is a 'statement' signing compared to the likes of Erling Haaland and Declan Rice, Pennant said: "Not as big as Haaland and Rice.
"We don't see him week-in week-out, we don't watch the Bundesliga as much as the Premier League, but he's making noise.
"He has been since [Xabi] Alonso was in the job and all of a sudden this new No.10 appears, how good he was and lighting up the Bundesliga with Leverkusen. But it's not grabbing me.
"If someone said to you we're going to sign Florian Wirtz, you're not going 'amazing'. It doesn't grab me like that. I am not saying he is not a great player, but there's other players out there.
"If you were to tell me we're going to sign Isak I would be like 'oh my god, it's the best signing ever and I'm all over it'. When you're talking about Wirtz and we might sign him, I am like 'good player' but it's not perfect and what we need."
Although Liverpool are planning ahead to the summer, Arne Slot's side have two Premier League fixtures remaining. They travel to Brighton & Hove Albion on Monday before hosting Crystal Palace six days later.
Despite this, Slot was still asked in his pre-match press conference about how the Reds are preparing for the transfer window.
He said: "I think again it's going to be a boring answer.
"So for the whole season it was about the contracts of three players and now we are arriving in a time where everybody wants to know which players we are going to bring in – and the answer is going to be the same.
"We don't talk about the players we want to bring in in public until the moment they have signed for us, and then you can ask me everything about them.
"What I can tell you is that we already have Conor Bradley who can play really good in that position; Joe Gomez has played in that position multiple times.
"So it's not like when Trent [Alexander-Arnold] is leaving, I have no clue what to do anymore. But as a club we are always looking at interesting players that can strengthen our squad. But that's the general answer, not talking about an individual."