Joshua Kimmich
Image Credits: Getty Images
Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich has seemingly confirmed that Florian Wirtz is Liverpool-bound.
On Friday, we brought forth reports from Germany that Liverpool made a second offer to Bayer Leverkusen for Florian Wirtz of £100m plus £10-£12m in add-ons (€130.5m-€133m).
However, it has since emerged that Leverkusen have now rejected that second bid.
Securing Wirtz would mark Liverpool’s most ambitious transfer since Virgil van Dijk’s £75m acquisition in 2018.
And while the negotiations have perhaps stretched on longer than initially imagined, his compatriots still believe that Wirtz will be a Liverpool player come the end of the summer.
Speaking to reporters while on international duty, Joshua Kimmich said as quoted by Sky Germany:
“He will have his reasons for making this decision. I hope it’s the right path for him.”
“As a Bayern player, I would have naturally wanted him to come to us.”
It was initially hoped that the Anfield club would finalize the transfer before Wirtz joins Germany’s UEFA Nations League squad, but that will not now be possible.
A crucial element of this transfer is the allocation of training compensation.
Under FIFA rules, five percent of the total transfer fee must be distributed among the clubs that contributed to the player’s development between the ages of 12 and 23.
For Florian Wirtz, who left 1. FC Köln for Bayer Leverkusen in January 2020 at just 16 years old, which means his former club will benefit financially.
Köln are set to receive around three million euros from the deal.
It remains to be seen whether Liverpool or Leverkusen will pay the training fee, if both clubs agree on each paying a certain % of the training fee.
Joshua Kimmich über Florian Wirtz und dessen Entscheidung pro Liverpool: „Er wird seine Gründe haben, warum er sich so entschieden hat. Ich hoffe, dass es der richtige Weg für ihn ist. Als Spieler vom FC Bayern hätte ich mir natürlich gewünscht, dass er zu uns kommt.“ @SkySportDE pic.twitter.com/rFttfRzhSR
— Kerry Hau (@kerry_hau) June 2, 2025
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