- Liverpool are closing in on the signing of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen
- Acquiring the 22-year-old would be a huge signal of intent from the champions
- Leverkusen are holding out for a fee in the region of £120m, with talks ongoing
Florian Wirtz appeared to nod in agreement when asked if he was ‘excited for Liverpool’ after Germany’s Nations League defeat by Portugal on Wednesday night.
The Reds remain in negotiations with Bayer Leverkusen over a deal for the 22-year-old. Leverkusen want £120million and Liverpool are at £109m but Wirtz has made it clear he wants the move.
The Germany star has been convinced by Arne Slot’s clear plan of where he will play in Liverpool’s set-up as a No 10.
Should the Reds accede to Bayer’s demands, Wirtz would become the most expensive signing in British football, overtaking the £115m Chelsea paid Brighton for Moises Caicedo.
Following Germany’s 2-1 semi-final defeat by Portugal – in which Wirtz at times dazzled and scored his nation’s only goal on the night – the attacking midfielder appeared to respond to a question on his expected move.
When asked by Mail Sport’s Lewis Steele if he was ‘excited for Liverpool’, Wirtz appeared to nod in agreement, though fans have speculated on social media over whether he was simply acknowledging someone who called out his name.
Florian Wirtz is expected to complete a big-money move to the Premier League champions this summer
Arne Slot is seeking major reinforcements to try and defend the title as well as win the Champions League
It follows an extraordinary event in the evolving transfer saga when Wirtz appeared to confirmed his move to the Premier League champions, urging Reds fans to not ‘believe everything’.
Richard Hughes, Liverpool’s Sporting Director, has proposed a package to his Leverkusen counterpart Simon Rolfes with easily attainable performance-related bonuses, such as Champions League qualification but the clubs are yet to agree a final fee.
This week, Wirtz took to social media to hit out at the German press after one reporter suggested the forward would be looking to take Alexis Mac Allister’s No 10 shirt should the move go through.
‘Who says I want the 10,’ Wirtz posted to his 3.3million Instagram followers. ‘I respect players.’
He added: ‘Don’t believe everything what’s written,’ accompanied by a clown emoji.
The post came after German journalist Florian Plettenberg of Sky suggested that Wirtz was looking to take Mac Allister’s shirt number.
He wrote on X on Monday: ‘Florian Wirtz would like to wear the number 10 shirt at Liverpool. He currently wears it at Leverkusen as well and the number 17 shirt for Germany.’
The number 17 is also taken at Liverpool, with Curtis Jones currently occupying that number. Talks between Bayer and Liverpool, meanwhile, continue as they attempt to find a middle ground.
There is also a possibility that Bayer could bring a Liverpool player to Germany as part of the deal. Harvey Elliott and Jarell Quansah are both admired by Leverkusen, but Elliott won’t be proposed as makeweight.
