After breaking the transfer fee record, midfielder Florian Wirtz has finally signed for Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen.
Following weeks of speculation and rumors, Florian Wirtz’s move has now become official. The German midfielder has made the switch to Liverpool, smashing the club’s transfer record in the process.
As widely reported by the BBC and other media outlets, the 22-year-old joined the English champions for a base fee of £100 million. Including various bonuses, Bayer Leverkusen could receive an additional £16 million.
Until now, Liverpool’s most expensive signing was Virgil van Dijk, who arrived in 2017 for £75 million. Wirtz’s transfer makes him the fifth player in Premier League history to cross the £100 million mark as an initial fee.
Other clubs have spent similarly huge sums on midfielders recently: Chelsea brought in Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, Arsenal signed Declan Rice, and Manchester City acquired Jack Grealish.
Wirtz still had two years left on his contract at Leverkusen. Bayern Munich and Manchester City had also shown interest, but Liverpool pulled ahead in the race days before the deal was finalized. The German midfielder expressed his excitement after the long wait ended.
“I’m really happy and very proud. Finally, it’s done — I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. It’s a great feeling to have it completed,” Wirtz said.
“I’m very excited about the new journey ahead. Changing clubs is a big step, moving from the Bundesliga to the Premier League and starting a completely new chapter.”
Wirtz was a key figure in Leverkusen’s historic 2023-24 season, which included a record-breaking, unbeaten run to the title. He played 45 matches, scoring 16 goals and providing 15 assists.
Over the past two Bundesliga seasons, he has been the only player to score and assist more than 10 times in each. Overall, Wirtz made 197 appearances for the German club, scoring 57 goals and assisting 65. He has also earned 31 caps for Germany so far.
Liverpool’s midfield is already strong, and Wirtz’s arrival strengthens it further. He is determined to help take the club to new heights.
“I would love to win everything every year! But first, we have to focus on doing our jobs, and I have to do mine,” he said.
“At the end of the day, we want success. This club won the Premier League last season. We want to defend that title next season and go further in the Champions League. I’m truly ambitious.”
