Liverpool have been busy early in the transfer market and want to get deals agreed before the first window shuts.
The Reds are known for their astute transfer negotiations and getting deals done efficiently, with Jeremie Frimpong’s move to Liverpool proving just that.
His former Bayer Leverkusen teammate Florian Wirtz, however, is proving much trickier to get over the line, something that many expected given the amount of money involved.
£126m is roughly what Leverkusen were originally looking for, meaning Liverpool would be demolishing the British record transfer fee, which is currently set at £115m when Moises Caicedo went to Chelsea.
However, although their stance remains clear, the final fee might be up for a little bit of deliberating, with Liverpool set to go in for the German one last time.
READ MORE: Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe delivers verdict on ‘top talent’ Florian Wirtz ahead of Liverpool move
Photo by Christina Pahnke - sampics/Corbis via Getty Images
Photo by Christina Pahnke – sampics/Corbis via Getty Images
Liverpool to make final bid as Bayer Leverkusen hold out for £118m
This is a transfer saga that has been rather drawn-out considering how quickly it picked up pace, although this could have been expected due to the sheer amount of money and finer details that need to be addressed.
However, according to the Daily Mail’s Lewis Steele, it is nearing its completion, although Leverkusen are still holding out for £118m.
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That is the fee that would likely be enough to be accepted, although Liverpool’s third bid of £100m plus the rest in add-ons clearly did not suffice.
Leverkusen are also said to be haggling over the finer details and want to maximise the add-ons, whether that proves to be achievable or not.
Steele has confirmed, however, that Liverpool are set to make an improved offer in the next 24 hours and that both clubs are confident about getting this deal over the line.
Liverpool fans may be a little worried that this is far too much for a player unproven in the Premier League, but Bayern Munich former technical director Marco Neppe has insisted that he will be worthwhile.
“His willingness. He is so brave. His skillset is dangerous for every opponent,” Neppe told Sky Sports.
“He can change the momentum of a game just by having an idea nobody expects and suddenly everything is different. He is a game changer.”
What are Liverpool planning to do next?
The Reds’ summer of change doesn’t just stop when they get Wirtz as Liverpool have already been lining up their next moves.
As Steele reported for the Daily Mail, Liverpool are going to turn their attention to outgoings after signing Wirtz and Milos Kerkez.
Federico Chiesa is linked with a move back to Italy after barely featuring for the Reds this season, while the likes of Darwin Nunez, Harvey Elliott and Kostas Tsimikas could all also depart.
Steele goes on to add that nothing is advanced yet, however, suggesting that all the current focus is on Wirtz.
Either way, Liverpool have had a hectic start to June, but as it stands, they still have the final bit of leg work to do.