Liverpool have agreed personal terms with Florian Wirtz and entered formal talks with Bayer Leverkusen as they push to get a record-breaking deal over the line, according to Fabrizio Romano and other top sources.
Wirtz was initially the subject of a transfer battle involving Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Real Madrid. Xabi Alonso would have loved to reunite with him at Real Madrid, but the 43-year-old coach has less power over transfers now he has agreed to move to the Bernabeu.
With City deciding Wirtz would be too expensive and opting to chase Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White instead, Bayern looked set to complete a raid on their Bundesliga rivals.
But they have been left stunned as Liverpool have exploded into the race for Wirtz in recent days and are edging closer to completing a sensational move for him.
As per the latest from Romano, Liverpool have ‘sealed a contract agreement’ with the attacking midfielder. While the exact length of the deal has yet to emerge, it is likely to run until 2029 or beyond.
Reds sporting director Richard Hughes has been able to finalise a contract with Wirtz quickly as he ‘only wants [a] Liverpool move’.
The Germany superstar ‘has informed Leverkusen of his desire to join Liverpool’.
Liverpool are in ‘club-to-club talks’ with Leverkusen to iron out a fee. Liverpool are ‘confident’ about getting the deal ‘done soon’.
Romano ends his update by stating it will ‘not [be] a long saga’.
Leverkusen want a whopping €150million (£126m / $170.5m) to sell their playmaker. Liverpool are ready to pay that price though and obliterate numerous transfer records.
Wirtz is poised to become the Premier League’s record signing, with Liverpool set to eclipse the £115m deal that took Moises Caicedo to Chelsea in August 2023.
Wirtz will also be the Bundesliga’s new record sale – a title currently held by Ousmane Dembele – and the most expensive German player ever.
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Romano’s update comes after The Athletic’s David Ornstein revealed on Friday that Wirtz ‘favours’ Liverpool.
According to Ornstein, the 22-year-old has begun house hunting in the north west to prepare for a blockbuster transfer to Anfield.
Communication channels between Liverpool and Leverkusen have been ‘open since the Jeremie Frimpong deal’.
Liverpool have already triggered Frimpong’s €35m (£29m / $40m) release clause and are poised to reunite him with Wirtz on Merseyside.
The Times’ trusted Liverpool reporter Paul Joyce has also confirmed Liverpool are in ‘formal talks’ for Wirtz after gaining encouragement from their initial approach.
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