Liverpool has made an improved offer to Bayer Leverkusen for its 22-year-old playmaker Florian Wirtz, as negotiations continue over a mega transfer deal. But just how big a transaction are we talking?
The latest bid for Wirtz is worth a guaranteed $135 million (£100 million) with a further $18 million (£13 million) arriving in add-ons. That totals a full package valued at $153 million (£113 million) — comfortably a record deal for Liverpool.
Including add-ons, Darwin Nunez cost up to $115 million (£85 million) when he arrived from Benfica in 2022. Virgil van Dijk is next on the list at $101 million (£75 million), with Alisson Becker third at $88 million (£65 million).
Dominik Szoboszlai was around $81 million (£60 million), while Naby Keita completes the top five at $69 million (£51 million). All are substantial fees, of course, but nothing like what Wirtz is set to cost.
What about the British transfer record, though? Liverpool has shown a willingness to go big in the past, agreeing a deal worth $150 million (£111 million) with Brighton for Moises Caicedo before he opted to join Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge side's deal for Caicedo, including add-ons, was worth $156 million (£115 million) and is the current record.
That is marginally ahead of the latest Wirtz bid, though it remains to be seen if that will be enough. Leverkusen had set the price tag at as much as $170 million (£126 million).
Germany star Florian Wirtz.
Germany star Florian Wirtz. (Image: Rico Brouwer/Soccrates/Getty Images)
Enzo Fernandez cost $145 million (£107 million) when he moved to Chelsea from Benfica, while Declan Rice's switch to Arsenal cost $142 million (£105 million). Jack Grealish's move to Manchester City from Aston Villa was worth $135 million (£100 million).
Romelu Lukaku, moving to Chelsea in 2021, makes up the top five at $131 million (£97 million). He was 28 at the time and was re-signing for Chelsea from Inter Milan.
All of the top five transfer deals of all time, as things stand, are outside of the Premier League. They are Neymar, Kylian Mbappe (both to PSG), Philippe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembele (both to Barcelona), and Joao Felix (to Atletico Madrid).
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At the current bid, Wirtz would overtake Felix and become the fifth-highest signing of all time, marginally behind Coutinho and Dembele's moves. At Bayer Leverkusen's valuation, he would overtake the pair and only be behind Neymar and Mbappe.
Liverpool.com says: There is often a misconception of the Moneyball approach where people think it means making cheap moves. Rather, it involves finding the best value.
Ultimately, Wirtz will cost a fortune, and there is no getting away from that. The pressure will be on for him to deliver. But Liverpool is paying the big bucks for a player with a huge future, though, and who is already one of the very best in the world. Even at well over $100M, he could still prove to be an astute purchase.