Bad news for the Premier League title race next season: Florian Wirtz looks set to join Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen. The mercurial 22-year-old could elevate the Reds’ already potent attacking force to unprecedented levels, strengthening their title defence prospects.
Anfield is reportedly the German’s desired destination in a £125m move, despite strong interest from Bayern Munich and Manchester City, with the latter dropping out due to financial constraints. The transfer would break the British transfer record by £10m, set by Moisés Caicedo to Chelsea in August 2023.
So just how good is the 2024 Bundesliga champion, and where would he fit in Slot’s system?
Wirtz’s rapid ascent at Leverkusen
Florian Wirtz burst onto the scene in May 2020 as Leverkusen’s youngest-ever Bundesliga player, soon becoming the league’s youngest goalscorer a month later. He tallied 8 goals and 8 assists the next season, then hit 10 goals and 14 assists in 2021/22 before an ACL injury sidelined him for 10 months. Returning in January 2023 with 12 goal contributions, Wirtz truly announced himself on the world stage the following season.
Wirtz starred under Xabi Alonso with 18 goals and 20 assists as Bayer Leverkusen clinched an unbeaten domestic double in 2023/24, suffering their only loss in the Europa League final to Atalanta. Though Leverkusen finished the following season 13 points behind champions Bayern, Wirtz remained a standout, netting six Champions League goals and racking up 31 goal contributions across all competitions.
But while the German international’s attacking returns are impressive, it’s his elite football IQ, dribbling, and pressing intelligence that make him such an exciting prospect. Devin Ozek, former CEO assistant at Leverkusen, told Sky Sports: “He’s an unbelievably intelligent player, to understand spaces between the lines, creating chances, an advanced playmaker.”
And fundamentally, Wirtz is a fun player to watch, getting fans off their seats on the ball and capable of creating a chance out of nothing. He completed 42 dribbles over nine matches in this season’s Champions League, averaging 4.67 dribbles per game, using his low centre of gravity to beat opponents one-on-one.
Tactical fit: how Wirtz complements Liverpool’s attack
Liverpool were free-scoring in 2024/25, netting 86 times in the league, 14 more than City, the next highest scorers. But with Mo Salah responsible for over half of these contributions, there is perhaps an overreliance on the Egyptian to deliver crucial goals.
While Cody Gakpo and Luis Díaz chipped in with their fair share, Slot’s most advanced midfielders, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister, netted six and five league goals respectively. The addition of Wirtz provides a rich source of goals from midfield. His arrival puts less pressure on the front line while providing yet another problem for defenders to think about and, in turn, creating more space for the attack.
In terms of positions, Wirtz is a manager’s dream. While primarily playing behind the striker as a number 10, the left-footer can play off the right, providing respite for 32-year-old Salah if necessary, and can also be deployed as a false nine. This positional and tactical versatility is crucial as Liverpool aim to go deep in all cup competitions available next year.
The Reds have also lost a vital creative outlet in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure to Real Madrid. His replacement at right-back and Wirtz’s Bayer teammate, Jeremie Frimpong,will bomb down the right flank and deliver crosses, but it’s the Englishman’s creativity in possession that will be a huge loss. The quality of Wirtz will enable Liverpool to play those line-breaking passes once more.
Financial strategy
Arne Slot’s spending at Liverpool has been modest so far, with Federico Chiesa arriving from Juventus for £10m and Giorgi Mamardashvili signed from Valencia for £25m, set to join this summer. Meanwhile, sales of Fábio Carvalho and Sepp van den Berg to Brentford for a combined £52.5m last summer, plus Bobby Clark’s £10m move to Red Bull Salzburg, have balanced the books. Now, Slot looks ready to open the cheque book for a marquee signing.
£125m is a hefty price tag, but Wirtz’s proven ability to perform consistently at the highest level, and at just 22 years old, makes the investment hugely promising. Last year’s limited signings reflected the squad Jürgen Klopp left behind, but now Slot has the chance to elevate Liverpool to new heights. With this signing, the Premier League chasing pack will find themselves playing catch-up.
Jon Harland
Jon is a sports journalist specialising in football while covering a range of sports. He uses his background in Philosophy to find deeper narratives within sport, delivering insightful and engaging stories. @jonharland_ jonianharland@gmail.com
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