Liverpool have officially fired the opening salvo in their summer transfer window by tabling a massive bid above €100 million for Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz.
According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano on X, Wirtz, 22, has informed Leverkusen that he ‘only wants Liverpool‘ with ‘club to club negotiations underway.’
Romano reports that discussions are progressing quickly, with Liverpool eager to get their man through the door “very soon.”
The initial proposal from Liverpool reportedly includes significant performance-related add-ons, helping shatter the £75 million record fee they paid for Virgil van Dijk in 2017.
The size of the fee is still a shock to many, with one football finance expert casting doubt over Liverpool’s ability to do a deal just yesterday.
Liverpool first official bid for Florian Wirtz in excess of 100m package with add-ons has been received by Bayer Leverkusen.
Club to club negotiations underway, restarting today to get the deal done very soon.
Wirtz already tolkd Bayer that he only wants Liverpool.
Wirtz’s eagerness to move comes amid major changes at both clubs. Liverpool are fresh from securing the Premier League title under manager Arne Slot, who replaced the iconic Jürgen Klopp last summer.
Slot guided Liverpool to immediate success in his debut campaign, clinching the league and earning widespread acclaim for his attacking, high-intensity style.
The Dutchman frequently used Dominik Szoboszlai in an advanced midfield role during Liverpool’s title-winning run, with the Hungarian thriving and contributing decisively in key moments.
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Yet, Szoboszlai’s versatility means he can comfortably operate deeper in midfield as a dynamic number eight, opening the door for Wirtz to slot into a more creative, attacking midfield position.
At Leverkusen, meanwhile, Wirtz flourished under former boss Xabi Alonso, whose departure for Real Madrid earlier this month marked the end of an extraordinary chapter at the Bundesliga club.
His own flexibility saw him deployed on the left and right of Leverkusen’s attack this campaign, as well as in the number 10 role, plus a handful of outings as a false nine.
His time in Germany peaked last season with Leverkusen’s historic invincible league campaign—a remarkable feat that drew widespread admiration.
Although the club couldn’t repeat that unprecedented achievement this year, settling for second behind Bayern Munich, Wirtz remained a standout performer, delivering 11 goals and 14 assists in all competitions.
The addition of a talent like Wirtz—young, technically gifted, and capable of both scoring and creating goals—will certainly excite Liverpool supporters, who anticipate another sustained challenge for domestic and European honours next season.
Negotiations will now enter a crucial stage, with all indications pointing toward a swift conclusion. Liverpool’s transfer chiefs, buoyed by Slot’s success, look intent on making a statement early in the summer.