Liverpool have broken their transfer record with the addition of German international Florian Wirtz, coming from Bayer Leverkusen, as announced by the club this Friday.
The agreement, which includes an initial payment of £100 million, with an additional £16 million in add-ons, brings the total figure to £116 million.
Wirtz has signed a five-year contract with the Premier League champion. The shirt number he will wear will be announced later in the summer.
Arne Slot’s team overcame strong competition from Bayern Munich and Manchester City to secure the talented attacker, who was ranked number 2 on the list of best offensive midfielders.
Wirtz, with 57 goals and 65 assists in 197 appearances for Leverkusen, becomes Liverpool’s second signing this summer, after the arrival of Jeremie Frimpong, Wirtz’s former teammate.
The 22-year-old player was expected to remain in Germany next season, either at Leverkusen or joining Bayern Munich. However, he chose to join Liverpool weeks after Slot’s team lifted the Premier League title.
Wirtz is highly rated at Anfield, as he has demonstrated his ability to play in various attacking positions for both club and national team. He was considered at City as a possible replacement for Kevin De Bruyne.
Following discussions with Leverkusen and Wirtz’s representatives, City decided to withdraw from the negotiating table, as the club’s directors did not consider the deal to be financially viable.
