Big deals take time.
when the whole of Europe is watching.
And when one of the most wanted young players in the world is involved, clubs don’t back down easily.
Liverpool have learned that over the past few weeks.
Talks have been ongoing, bids have been sent, and numbers have been pushed around. But one thing is clear — this transfer will not come cheap.
The Reds are trying to stay ahead of the competition.
Manchester City and Bayern Munich were interested, but have shifted focus.
Liverpool remain locked in.
But Leverkusen know what they have.
And they are not in the mood to sell for anything less than top price.
It’s a standoff that could go either way, but there’s one key difference: the player wants Anfield.
According to The Times, Liverpool have had their latest bid for Florian Wirtz rejected.
The report said, “Liverpool submitted a revised offer which guaranteed Leverkusen £100million, with an additional £13million in add-ons, and equates to €134million overall.”
But Leverkusen want more.
Sources in Germany confirm that the Bundesliga club are pushing to “maximise the financial package” for Wirtz.
Despite two weeks of negotiations, no medical has been booked, and there is still “no agreement on a fee”.
Talks will continue.
“Liverpool have been unwilling to meet Leverkusen’s original asking price of £126million (€150million) and it appears clear that a compromise will have to be struck for two weeks of discussions to reach an agreement.”
But Liverpool are hopeful, because Wirtz is on their side.
The 22-year-old has “rebuffed interest from Bayern Munich and Manchester City”, and is said to be keen on a move to Merseyside.
Wirtz is currently with Germany’s national team and will feature in the Nations League third-place play-off against France today.
Until then, the deal remains on hold.
Liverpool also remain active elsewhere, including negotiations for Milos Kerkez.
The Bournemouth left-back is rated at £45 million, but the Reds are trying to bring that fee down.
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