Premier League champions Liverpool have sealed a blockbuster £116m agreement to sign Germany’s attacking sensation Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen.
The deal for the 22-year-old includes £100m guaranteed, with a potential £16m in add-ons triggered by future success — a package that could set a new British transfer record.
Currently, Chelsea’s £107m signing of Enzo Fernandez from Benfica in 2023 holds the record for an initial fee, while Moises Caicedo’s £100m move from Brighton could rise to £115m with add-ons.
For Liverpool, Wirtz becomes the most expensive signing in the club’s history, eclipsing the £85m potential outlay for Darwin Nunez and the £75m spent on Virgil van Dijk in 2018.
Manchester City and Bayern Munich had also been monitoring Wirtz, but financial demands saw City pull out, while Wirtz himself made Anfield his preferred destination.
The Reds secured the deal below Leverkusen’s £126m valuation after intense negotiations.
A star since debuting for Leverkusen at 17, Wirtz scored 57 goals in 197 appearances and played a pivotal role in their historic 2024 Bundesliga title win.
On the international stage, he has netted seven times in 31 games for Germany since 2021.
Wirtz becomes Liverpool’s second signing from Leverkusen this summer, following Jeremie Frimpong’s £34m switch.
The club is also in talks with Bournemouth over a £45m-£50m move for left-back Milos Kerkez.
Fresh off winning the 2024-25 Premier League under new manager Arne Slot, Liverpool have flexed their financial muscle after a relatively quiet window last summer, which saw the arrivals of Federico Chiesa (£12.5m from Juventus) and Giorgi Mamardashvili (£29m from Valencia).
Departures include Republic of Ireland keeper Caoimhin Kelleher, sold to Brentford for up to £18m, and England full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has joined Real Madrid.
The Spanish giants reportedly paid £8.4m to release him early for Club World Cup participation, though sources at Madrid suggest the fee was slightly lower.
