Liverpool completed the signing of Germany forward Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen on Friday in a deal which could reportedly rise to a Premier League record fee.
The reported fee is 116 million pounds ($156 million), which would make the 22-year-old Wirtz the most expensive player in the history of British football.
One of European football’s elite young stars, Wirtz, 22, was central to Leverkusen’s greatest season as they claimed a first-ever Bundesliga title and the German Cup in 2023/24 without losing a single game.
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“I feel very happy and very proud. Finally it’s done and I was waiting for a long time – finally it’s done and I am really happy,” said Wirtz after signing with the Premier League champion.
“I’m really excited to have a new adventure in front of me. This was also a big point of my thoughts: that I want to have something completely new, to go out of the Bundesliga and to join the Premier League.
“I will see how I can perform there. I hope I can do my best. I also spoke with some players who played there, and they told me that it’s perfect for me, and every pitch is perfect, you can enjoy every game. I’m really looking forward to playing my first game,” added Wirtz.
With two years left on his Leverkusen contract, Wirtz was also heavily linked with a move to German champions Bayern Munich and Pep Guardiola’s City, who were looking to replace Kevin De Bruyne after the Belgian playmaker’s exit.
Wirtz is the second summer signing of Arne Slot and will be reunited with Leverkusen teammate Jeremie Frimpong.
(inputs from Reuters and AFP)
