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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Richard Jolly

Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen agree British record fee for German star Wirtz

  • Liverpool have agreed to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for an initial £100m, potentially rising to £116m, making him their new club record signing.
  • Wirtz, who preferred joining Liverpool, will undergo a medical next week and is expected to agree personal terms, rejecting offers from Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and Manchester City.
  • Liverpool's previous bids included a £109m offer last week before reaching an agreement with Leverkusen, who initially wanted €150m (£126m).
  • Wirtz's arrival will surpass Liverpool's previous record signings, such as Virgil van Dijk (£75m) and Darwin Nunez (£64m, potentially £85m), made possible by the club's financial prudence last summer.
  • Wirtz, named Bundesliga’s Player of the Year in 2023-24 after scoring 34 goals in two seasons and helping Leverkusen win their first league title, could lead to Harvey Elliott's departure due to Liverpool's self-sustaining model.

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