Liverpool have officially completed the signing of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen in a blockbuster £116 million ($156m) transfer, the club has confirmed.
The Reds announced that the German international has put pen to paper on a long-term deal at Anfield, becoming their second major first-team addition of the summer window. The move also reunites Wirtz with his former Leverkusen teammate Jeremie Frimpong under the management of Arne Slot.
The transfer marks the end of months of speculation surrounding Wirtz’s future. The highly-rated midfielder had attracted interest from Manchester City and Bayern Munich, but ultimately chose to make the switch to the Premier League with Liverpool. Following extended negotiations between the Merseyside club and the Bundesliga champions, both sides reportedly agreed to a deal comprising an initial £100m (€118m/$136m) fee, with an additional £16m (€19m/$22m) in performance-related bonuses.
Speaking after signing his contract, Wirtz expressed his excitement about joining Liverpool. He told the club’s official media: “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.”
He continued: “I'm really excited to have a new adventure in front of me. That was a big part of my decision — I wanted something completely new, to leave the Bundesliga and challenge myself in the Premier League.”
“I will see how I can perform there. I hope to give my best. I spoke with some players who have played in England and they told me it would suit me perfectly, that every pitch is amazing and you can enjoy every game. I’m really looking forward to playing my first match.”
Looking ahead, Wirtz is expected to join Liverpool’s pre-season training and could feature prominently when the Reds kick off their Premier League campaign against Bournemouth on August 15. Discussing his ambitions, the 21-year-old added: “I would like to win everything every year! First of all, we have to do our work, I have to make my work.”
“In the end, we want to be successful. Last season they won the Premier League, so my goal is definitely to win it again and to go further in the Champions League. I’m really ambitious.”
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