The latest Liverpool transfer news as Florian Wirtz has won another major award amid ongoing negotiations between Bayer Leverkusen and the Reds over a €150m deal
Comments
Sport
Florian Wirtz applauding after playing for Bayer Leverkusen and a Liverpool badge
Bayer Leverkusen and Liverpool continue to be in negotiations over the transfer of Florian Wirtz
The German Footballers' Union (VDV) have voted Florian Wirtz as the best Bundesliga player amid ongoing transfer negotiations between Bayer Leverkusen and Liverpool over the attacking midfielder.
The £126m-rated Wirtz wins for the second straight season and now has a pair of Silver Boot awards. In doing so, the Germany international joins Marco Reus, Oliver Khan and Robert Lewandowski as multiple-time recipients of the honour.
He matches Khan on two, one less than Reus and three short of Lewandowski. Wirtz, however, matches the latter by becoming the other player to win in consecutive seasons, something the striker did twice at Bayern Munich.
He also did so despite the Bavarian club becoming Bundesliga champions again at the expense of Xabi Alonso's side. It was not quite the procession of his success 12 months ago when Wirtz prevailed with over three-quarters of the valid votes, but the 22-year-old still came out a clear winner.
His vote share was 29 per cent, bettering Harry Kane at 20 per cent and Michael Olise's 17 per cent. Wirtz also earned a spot in the team of the season, receiving the highest vote share of anyone at almost 85 per cent.
He has made that XI in three of the last four seasons, with 2022/23 the only exception. His first selection the previous season also came alongside winning the Newcomer of the Year, which the former Brighton & Hove Albion striker Deniz Undav won this time.
Should the Reds sign Wirtz during the summer transfer window, they will have two players of the season in their attack next season. Mohamed Salah has already been named the Football Writers' Association (FWA) Footballer of the Year and Premier League Player of the Season.
The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Players' Player of the Year is still to be named. Their previous ceremony took place in August last year.