Liverpool’s second bid totalling €130m for Florian Wirtz has been rejected, with Bayer Leverkusen now informing the Reds what must be done to seal a deal.
Liverpool have agreed personal terms with Florian Wirtz who has chosen to sign for Liverpool ahead of Bayern Munich. The Reds have promised Wirtz the No 10 role in Arne Slot’s 4-2-3-1 formation will be his. It’s also been reported Wirtz has requested the No 10 shirt, which is currently in possession of Alexis Mac Allister.
Wirtz is currently on international duty with the German national team and is ready to undergo a medical when the call comes.
That will only happen if Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen shake hands on a club-to-club agreement and Arne Slot’s side have seen two bids rejected.
Their first was worth ‘in excess’ of €100m and fell some way short of Leverkusen’s dream €150m valuation.
The Reds upped the ante when thundering back in with a package totalling €130m. But per Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, that was not enough to get the green light either.
Plettenberg wrote on X: “Not much has changed: the second offer for Florian Wirtz was not accepted in its current form, which is why, as reported, there was still no agreement a few days ago.
“Negotiations are ongoing. Both teams want a quick agreement, Leverkusen have a different overall package in mind than the one currently being offered by Liverpool.”
Plettenberg has consistently gone strong on claims Leverkusen would be willing to compromise on their €150m valuation if a makeweight were included in the deal.
The two Liverpool players understood to be under consideration are Jarell Quansah and Harvey Elliott.
A subsequent update from the Sky Germany man doubled down on suggestions Leverkusen want a player in return.
If Liverpool do not meet that demand, they must raise their €130m bid by at least €10m.
“Liverpool are very optimistic about reaching an agreement with Bayer 04 soon,” added Plettenberg.
“Unless a Liverpool player is included in the deal, Leverkusen are demanding a fee of up to €140–150m.
According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool have scheduled a new round of talks with Leverkusen in the hopes of ironing out a final agreement “this week”.
If Liverpool do go on to seal a deal the move will shatter their transfer record, which is currently held by Darwin Nunez (£85m add-ons included).
The Premier League’s all-time transfer record – Moises Caicedo to Chelsea for £115m – could also fall. €140m-€150m currently equates to £118.2m-£126.7m.
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TIMELINE: Liverpool’s record-breaking pursuit of Florian Wirtz
By Samuel Bannister
May 13: Wirtz’s father and agent holds a meeting with Liverpool in England, in which the club explain how he’d fit into their plans, but the Reds believe at that point he would be more likely to join Bayern Munich.
May 19: Manchester City withdraw from the race to sign Wirtz, leaving Liverpool in a straight battle with Bayern.
May 21: Fabrizio Romano confirms Wirtz is Liverpool’s ‘dream’ target and that they would have no problem meeting the €150m asking price.
May 22: Romano explains that Wirtz is now talking with his family about his next options, while Florian Plettenberg confirms Wirtz has not yet told Bayer Leverkusen his decision either.
May 23: Wirtz confirms to Bayern Munich that he will be moving to Liverpool instead of them and informs Bayer Leverkusen of his decision too after agreeing personal terms with the Reds.
May 26: Liverpool submit their opening bid to Bayer Leverkusen for Wirtz in a package worth more than €100m.
May 27: Leverkusen quickly reject that offer, stressing to Liverpool they won’t sell for less than their €130m valuation.
May 30: Liverpool submit a new €125-130m offer for Wirtz, based on a €100m downpayment with the Reds made up on add-ons and bonuses.
June 2: Clubs still negotiating a deal, and while believed to be close, focus now will surround the breakdown of those add-ons and whether the Reds could include one of their own players to help reduce that outlay.