Liverpool clinch £116m deal for attacking midfielder

Liverpool have struck a blockbuster agreement worth up to £116 million for Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Florian Wirtz, making the 22‑year‑old German their most expensive signing and potentially the costliest acquisition in British football.

Under the terms of the pact, Leverkusen will receive an initial £100 million, with a further £16 million tied to performance‑related bonuses. Those add‑ons would only be activated if Liverpool sustain silverware‑winning success, a scenario that would eclipse the nation‑record £107 million Chelsea paid for Enzo Fernández in 2023 and the £115 million ceiling attached to Moisés Caicedo’s move a year later.

The deal comfortably surpasses Liverpool’s previous outlays: the £75 million spent on Virgil van Dijk in 2018 and the package that could rise to £85 million for Darwin Núñez. Manchester City explored a move for Wirtz before backing away over cost, while Bayern Munich also registered interest. Wirtz, however, made clear his preference for an Anfield switch, allowing Liverpool to settle slightly below Leverkusen’s £126 million valuation.

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A prodigy who debuted at 17, Wirtz scored 57 goals in 197 appearances and inspired Leverkusen’s maiden Bundesliga title in 2024. Internationally, he has seven goals in 31 caps since 2021. He is poised to become Liverpool’s second recruit from Leverkusen this summer after right‑back Jeremie Frimpong’s £34 million arrival.

Manager Arne Slot—fresh from guiding the club to the 2024‑25 Premier League crown in his first season—has also targeted Bournemouth left‑back Milos Kerkez in talks believed to be worth £45‑50 million. Last summer’s restrained spending, limited to £12.5 million on Federico Chiesa and £29 million on goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili (who joins ahead of the new campaign), provided room for this year’s splash.

Departures have brought funds too. Goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher joined Brentford for an initial £12.5 million (potentially £18 million), and England right‑back Trent Alexander‑Arnold has moved to Real Madrid. Sources at Anfield say Madrid paid around €10 million (£8.4 million) to release the defender before his contract ended on 30 June so he could feature in this month’s Club World Cup, though Spanish reports claim the fee was lower.