No Wirtz To Liverpool, Says Leverkusen

Liverpool have made Florian Wirtz one of their main summer transfer targets but the Premier League club have yet to meet Bayer Leverkusen’s asking price for the star

Bayer Leverkusen still expect Florian Wirtz to join Liverpool despite rejecting two offers, it has been claimed. The Reds’ second bid still fell short of Leverkusen’s £126million asking price, but they remain in pole position to get a deal over the line.

Liverpool have already signed one of Leverkusen’s 2023-24 double-winning stars, with Jeremie Frimpong completing a £29.5million switch. They continue to lead the way over Germany playmaker Wirtz, too, despite Bayern Munich previously looking like front-runners.

According to Bild, Leverkusen higher-ups don’t consider the move to be in jeopardy. The same publication reports that Liverpool and Wirtz have already agreed terms, with the transfer fee the only remaining obstacle.

A players-plus cash deal could still be one solution, while another option is a bid which will only hit Leverkusen’s valuations if bonuses are triggered. Harvey Elliott and Jarell Quansah are among those being touted if the German club get a player as part of the transfer.

Whatever happens, Liverpool are expected to pay more than the £84m including add-ons which it took to sign Darwin Nunez from Benfica. Wirtz is expected to sign a contract until 2030 when the Anfield switch is formalised.

Wirtz’s former Germany team-mate Toni Kroos has been left surprised by his compatriot’s transfer decision. “It was just obvious to everyone that he was going to Bayern,” Kroos said in May.

“I didn’t know that, and in my old way, I didn’t believe it (that he would reject Bayern for Liverpool) at first when someone wrote that.

Leverkusen’s negotiations over Wirtz, and how they spend the money raised by the sale of the Germany star, could have a huge bearing on how Erik ten Hag’s first season at the BayArena pans out. Former Manchester United boss Ten Hag has been confirmed as the German club’s new manager, taking the reins after Xabi Alonso’s departure for Real Madrid.

“Our ideas of football coincide,” sporting director Simon Rolfes said. “With technically demanding and dominant football, we want to carry on in the Werkself style and aim for the highest targets in the Bundesliga, DFB Pokal and Champions League.”

Erik ten Hag at his Bayer Leverkusen unveiling
Wirtz and Frimpong aren’t the only members of Alonso’s squad set to leave before Ten Hag takes charge of his first competitive game. Centre-back Jonathan Tah, who spent the last decade at Leverkusen, has joined Bayern Munich on a free transfer.

“In Jonathan Tah we’ve acquired a player with international experience and quality, who won’t need much time to establish himself in our defence,” Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund said. “He’ll be a good and important addition for us with his technical qualities as well as his manner and the way he leads.”

Mirror.co.uk