Liverpool have moved a step closer to landing Germany’s brightest talent, Florian Wirtz, after Bayern Munich sporting director Max Eberl conceded the Bavarian giants simply cannot compete with the Reds’ financial muscle.
The Merseysiders have submitted a third bid worth £114 million comprised of £100m up front and £14m in performance-related add-ons, as they edge closer to a deal with Bayer Leverkusen for the 21-year-old playmaker.
Leverkusen are holding out for their ideal figure of £126 million, but negotiations remain active, with the Bundesliga champions open to a compromise on the structure of the bonuses rather than the headline fee. If a final agreement is reached, it would eclipse Chelsea’s 2023 signing of Moisés Caicedo and set a new British transfer record.
While domestic rivals Manchester City have pulled out of the race due to the spiralling costs, and despite whispers that Bayern could offer Wirtz higher wages, Eberl delivered a telling admission this week.
“Florian Wirtz is an outstanding player. We could have imagined signing him,” Eberl told Sky Germany. “But when a door closes, another opens. If I’m honest, I don’t know if we could have paid what Liverpool are apparently paying now.”
Wirtz, widely hailed as one of the finest young playmakers in Europe, has already held detailed conversations with new Reds boss Arne Slot, who views the German international as a centrepiece of his rebuild at Anfield.
According to Bild, Wirtz’s preference has long been Liverpool, with his father reportedly informing Bayern weeks ago that his son’s future lies in Merseyside.
Liverpool have already raided Leverkusen once this summer, sealing a £29.5m deal for Jeremie Frimpong, and remain active in the market with Milos Kerkez of Bournemouth also on their radar. The club is still keen to bolster its forward line and central defence before the window closes, but landing Wirtz would be their statement signing of the summer.
The transfer chase has further highlighted the ever-widening financial gulf between the Premier League and its European counterparts with even Bayern, the behemoths of German football, struggling to keep pace.
For Liverpool, though, the signs are increasingly promising. With Wirtz seemingly sold on the project and Leverkusen open to negotiation, a historic move to Anfield could soon be finalised.
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