If Liverpool concludes a deal for Bayer Leverkusen and Germany attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz this summer, it could not make a bigger splash in the transfer market.
Bayern Munich wanted the 22-year-old, and Manchester City was in the race at one stage. But it appears that Wirtz will instead be heading to Anfield, for a potentially British record-breaking fee.
While it is unclear exactly how Arne Slot intends to deploy Wirtz at this stage, there is a clear plan for the player. One of the reasons that he is said to have been left unconvinced by Vincent Kompany's pitch is that it would overlap too much with Jamal Musiala's role. In contrast, at Liverpool, Wirtz can very much become the main man.
If Slot is to use Wirtz as his most attacking midfielder — and as a false nine would be the other obvious position for him — then it will mark an Anfield evolution that has been a long time coming.
In 2017, Jurgen Klopp signed Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from Arsenal for a fee of $47 million (£35 million) — a substantial sum for a player with only a year left on his contract and a patchy injury history.
A year later, Liverpool splashed $68 million (£51 million) on Naby Keita. Billed as the next big thing in the Bundesliga, the move never worked out — a combination of his injuries and slightly different tactical fit not working out.
Florian Wirtz celebrates scoring for Germany.
Florian Wirtz celebrates scoring for Germany. (Image: Maciej Rogowski/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
Former Liverpool director of research, Ian Graham, was a huge fan of Keita, and saw him as someone who could take the Reds' midfield to the next level, but it never happened. Keita now plays in Hungary for Ferencvaros.
After questions about whether the Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Gini Wijnaldum midfield — which won the Champions League and the Premier League — was too 'functional', Keita was thought of as the ideal solution.
Harvey Elliott and later Fabio Carvalho were younger options brought in to play that kind of number 10 creative role, but neither have managed to establish themselves. The latter joined Brentford last summer having made just 21 appearances, while Elliott might need to move on this summer in search of more regular action.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Fanatics Official Sports Apparel — Liverpool
At the base of the Liverpool midfield, Thiago Alcantara was snapped up from Bayern Munich for a fee of around $34 million (£25 million) including add-ons as someone who could offer a different profile and take the center of the field to another level. But it didn't really happen in any sustained way, mainly, like with Keita, because of injuries.
Even Takumi Minamino and Xherdan Shaqiri, who were probably more forward options than number 10s, were brought in to add a new dimension. They were never going to be regulars in the starting XI, however, while the likes of Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai are exceptional, but not necessarily stereotypical 'flair' players who operate best in the final third.
In the case of Wirtz, though, as talks continue for the Bayer Leverkusen and Germany ace, it seems highly unlikely that a similar fate will befall the 22-year-old to the likes of Oxlade-Chamberlain and Keita. He is already in the conversation for being one of the best players in the world.
Germany playmaker Florian Wirtz.
Germany playmaker Florian Wirtz. (Image: Sebastian Widmann - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
If Wirtz does arrive, which is seemingly likely at this point, then the expectations will be huge given the price tag — definitely a Liverpool record and well over $100M. But the Leverkusen number 10 definitely has the talent to flourish.
Last season, Wirtz scored 16 goals and assisted another 15 for the Bundesliga side in all competitions. He mixes elegance and grace with elite end product and could become the main man at Anfield in the era that follows Mohamed Salah.
While it is not 100 per cent clear whether or not Wirtz will be deployed most often as a number 10, or whether he will actually line up in attack, he will be a game-changer. Arriving as a playmaker of some form, he will be the world-class operator that Liverpool has looked at bringing into the top end of its midfield for some time.