Florian Wirtz is a surprise target for Liverpool heading into a big summer transfer window – and though it seems unlikely, signing the Germany international would be a game-changer.
Throughout Liverpool’s success under Fenway Sports Group their transfer policy has been to maximise value: if they are going to spend, they want to be absolutely sure it will be worth it.
Sometimes, that doesn’t work out. The club’s record arrival, Darwin Nunez, is a prime example of that.
Given Nunez’s £85 million signing was one instigated by Jurgen Klopp himself, however, perhaps £52.75 million Naby Keita better demonstrates how, even with a team of data scientists and an expansive scouting network, the most convincing cases don’t always translate.
Naturally there are more hits than misses in the repertoire of those whose renown has been built working within FSG’s spending model, with Mohamed Salah, signed for £36.9 million in 2017, the poster boy.
But Liverpool’s two Premier League titles and their sixth Champions League triumph were most heavily influenced by two signings which broke the mould: Virgil van Dijk and Alisson.
Van Dijk and Alisson set new world records upon their £75 million and £65 million moves from Southampton and AS Roma respectively in 2018, with FSG persuaded they would be transformational for the club.
Liverpool could set a new transfer record this summer if they are successful in signing Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen – given he is valued at €150 million (£126.4m) – and there are signs he could be in that same bracket as a game-changing buy.
Why every top club will want Wirtz
There is a strong body of work to prove that already.
Having only turned 22 at the beginning of May, Wirtz has already made 196 appearances for Leverkusen, scoring 57 goals and assisting a further 65.
He has averaged a goal or assist every 116.7 minutes throughout his entire senior club career, while this season he has scored 16 and assisted 15 in 44 appearances to average a goal involvement every 106.5 minutes.
After making his Germany debut as an 18-year-old in 2021, Wirtz has now become a first-choice starter and has six goals and seven assists for his country – one every 119.3 minutes – having earned 29 caps.
In some ways he is something of a throwback as a No. 10 – quick, nimble, press-resistant, creative and a regular goalscorer – but he offers considerably more than that.
Wirtz is exceptionally difficult to track between the lines, occupying vast spaces as he dominates the conversation around the middle and final thirds of the pitch, and though not typically relied upon defensively he is also willing to put in the hard yards off the ball.
There is no surprise then, that as Xabi Alonso departs the BayArena and his squad begins to get picked apart, it is not only Liverpool who are interested but also Bayern Munich, Man City and perhaps even Real Madrid.
As it stands the belief around Anfield is that Wirtz will be staying in Germany, which would likely mean a move to the reigning champions Bayern, but the reporting around the Reds’ interest suggests they are hopeful of an opportunity.
A surprise solution to the No. 9 problem?
Of those four clubs, ironically Arne Slot‘s Liverpool system would least benefit from a player of Wirtz’s profile: while the head coach refers to one of his three midfield roles as the No. 10, neither Dominik Szoboszlai or Curtis Jones play as an archetypal attacking midfielder.
Bayern will see Thomas Muller depart this summer, Kevin De Bruyne has already announced he will be leaving Man City and the imminent appointment of Alonso creates an obvious vacancy in the Real Madrid setup.
But it would be no surprise if a scarcity of options in another priority position has led Liverpool to make contact with Wirtz and his parents, Hans Wirtz and Karin Gross, who act as his representatives.
The need for a No. 9 is abundantly clear, but beyond Newcastle‘s Alexander Isak there are few genuine elite-level strikers up for consideration.
With Newcastle expected to qualify for next season’s Champions League they are expected to hold firm when it comes to Isak, with a price tag of £150 million not even guaranteed to prise the Swede away from St James’ Park.
Beyond that, Liverpool have been credited with an interest in RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike, while Wolves‘ Matheus Cunha, Brighton‘s Joao Pedro and Ipswich‘s Liam Delap have been ruled out.
Neither Sesko or Ekitike resembles the finished product and there would be an element of risk in sanctioning a significant sum for either player.
Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez is known to have been of interest but, like Isak, he would be extremely costly and there is little indication he would leave the Wanda Metropolitano after a single season.
Slot cannot rely on Nunez for goals or Diogo Jota to stay fit, and while Luis Diaz has been highly impressive as a deep-dropping No. 9, the Colombian is not the long-term answer at the heart of Liverpool’s attack.
Liverpool want versatility
Perhaps the plan would be for Wirtz to adopt that central role with Szoboszlai supporting and Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo continuing to provide goals from wide areas.
He is certainly versatile enough: though 158 of his appearances for Leverkusen have been in his natural attacking midfield role, he has scored seven and assisted seven in 15 games when playing as a striker.
Liverpool witnessed it firsthand as Wirtz occupied a drifting No. 9 role in their clash with Leverkusen in the Champions League this season – though, ending in a 4-0 triumph for Slot’s side, that is unlikely to have stood out in their analysis.
With a £30 million deal already in the works for Leverkusen teammate Jeremie Frimpong there is already evidence that versatility will be paramount to Liverpool’s plans for the summer – and even that a change in system could be in the works.
If he was to be used in midfield, taking up that position reserved for Szoboszlai in Slot’s debut campaign, Wirtz’s almost De Bruyne-like passing ability could soak up the creative responsibility vacated by Trent Alexander-Arnold.
It is not often that a player of Wirtz’s calibre comes onto the market, and it is even rarer that Liverpool can attack the situation from a position of such strength having won the Premier League by a wide margin.
That is why he could be seen as another of those transformational signings; a game-changer who could arrive at the optimum time as Slot finally shapes the squad in his own image.
While it may be a difficult deal for Liverpool to pull off – and certainly it seems likely that Bayern or Real will put together a more attractive pitch for the player in question – it is clearly one they see as worth exploring.
