Liverpool has completed the signing of German international Florian Wirtz for a club record of 100 million pounds from Bayern Munich.
The transfer of the 22-year-old German could break the British record due to £16m in add-ons, exceeding Chelsea’s £115m payment for Caicedo in 2023.
Liverpool’s willingness to pay these aspirational bonuses stems from their anticipated success at the highest level.
Securing Wirtz with a five-year contract is a huge coup for the club, especially considering they beat out stiff competition from Manchester City, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid for this highly-rated European player.
Leverkusen’s £126m valuation of Wirtz was negotiated down last week, yet the final fee surpasses Liverpool’s £85m for Nunez in 2022, with Nunez’s summer exit expected.
Liverpool’s summer spending has already hit £175m with Wirtz their second signing, following Frimpong and Marmadashvilli arriving next month.
That deal is expected to surpass £200 million, with a £40 million fee already agreed for Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez.
Their summer transfer spending surpasses all others since 2018, a year that saw the £170m recruitment of Keita, Fabinho, Shaqiri, and Alisson, following Van Dijk’s £75m arrival in January.
Despite their reputation for using data in player recruitment, Fenway Sports Group, the club’s owners, have been willing to spend substantial sums on players such as Van Dijk, Alisson, and now Wirtz, who are expected to improve the team significantly.
The club has recovered approximately £26m from the sales of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Caoimhin Kelleher, anticipating additional income from players such as Nunez, Harvey Elliott, Federico Chiesa, and possibly Andy Robertson, who Atletico Madrid are interested.
“I feel very happy and very proud. I was waiting for a long time – finally, it’s done, and I am thrilled,” Wirtz told the club’s website.
“I’m really excited to have a new adventure in front of me. This was also a significant point in my thoughts: I want to have something completely new, to leave the Bundesliga and join the Premier League.
“I will see how I can perform there. I hope to do my best. I also spoke with some players who have played there, and they told me that it’s perfect for me. Every pitch is ideal, and you can enjoy every game.
I’m looking forward to playing my first game.
“I would like to win everything every year! First of all, we have to do our work; I have to do my work.
“In the end, we want to be successful. Last season, they won the Premier League, so my goal is to win it again and also to progress further in the Champions League. I’m really ambitious.”
