Liverpool have been heavily linked with a transfer for Florian Wirtz this summer, with updates cropping up almost every hour.
And, after a new update from Florian Plettenberg, a move for Wirtz could now be closer than ever.
The Sky Germany journalist reported via his personal X account that, if a deal is struck, Liverpool may be able to offer one of their players in the deal to get his price down.
The journalist goes on to say that the Bundesliga outfit are looking for either a goalkeeper, centre-back or a striker.
🚨🆕 Bayer 04 Leverkusen are keen to reach a swift agreement with Liverpool over Florian #Wirtz. Much now depends on their first offer.
⚠️ Understand there is discussion around a deal that would involve Liverpool paying a transfer fee and Leverkusen additionally receiving a… pic.twitter.com/codTfoF6xz
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) May 24, 2025
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With this in mind, here are three players that Liverpool could offer up to help them get the Wirtz deal over the line.
Caoimhin Kelleher
Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images
Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images
Perhaps one of the more obvious players for Liverpool to offer up would be Caoimhin Kelleher.
The Irishman has been Alisson’s trusty number two for a few years now, and with the arrival of Giorgi Mamardashvili now just around the corner, Kelleher’s days at Liverpool are numbered.
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To make matters worse, Kelleher’s contract is set to expire in June 2026, so if Arne Slot can’t get a fee for him in the summer, it’s likely that he’ll leave on a free transfer or for a cut-rate price.
Which, after what’s happened with Trent Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool this season, is likely a situation that the Reds will want to avoid, especially with a player of Kelleher’s calibre.
Jarell Quansah
Photo by Steven Halliwell | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Steven Halliwell | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
One of the more ‘out there’ shouts would be Jarell Quansah. While the centre-back may have plenty of potential, he’s seemed like half the player he was last season when called upon by Slot.
When the Dutchman first came in, he chose to play others such as Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez over Quansah, despite the form he showed throughout the 2023-24 season under Jurgen Klopp.
At the time, fans were questioning why Slot would omit him from his team, but when Quansah was eventually called upon, he failed to perform to the standards he set last term.
So, with Leverkusen wanting a centre-back, Quansah could also be a decent shout, especially since he’s already been linked with an Anfield exit.
The defender is still only 22 years old and has plenty of time to develop into a star but at the moment, Wirtz would certainly offer more to the club than what Quansah is.
Diogo Jota
Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images
Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images
The last position that Plettenberg mentioned in his update was a striker.
With the opening of the 2025-26 transfer window edging ever-closer, it seems that almost every team in Europe is after a number nine.
Indeed, Liverpool have a few options to lead their attacking line, such as Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo, but one player who hasn’t performed well this term is Diogo Jota.
Under Klopp, the Portugal international was a different animal and perhaps the second-most clinical finisher at the club.
However, due to many reasons such as injury and a lack of confidence, that same player hasn’t turned up all that often this season.
Indeed, these are all just ifs, buts and maybes at the moment, but with the amount of noise surrounding Wirtz and Liverpool at the moment, it feels like it’s a matter of when, not if.