Liverpool are preparing a fourth and final bid for Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz as negotiations over the German playmaker near a conclusion. The Reds have been in talks with Leverkusen for several weeks and are hopeful that a compromise on the transfer fee will be reached imminently.
Their most recent offer, submitted on Friday, totaled £113 million—comprised of £100 million upfront plus £13 million in add-ons. While that would set a new British transfer record, surpassing the £115 million Chelsea paid for Moisés Caicedo, it still falls short of Leverkusen’s initial £126.4 million valuation.
However, with negotiations led by Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes, both parties now appear willing to settle. Leverkusen are reportedly expecting a final offer of around £118 million within the next 24 hours and are prepared to accept it, recognizing Liverpool’s firm stance and the risk of losing momentum by overplaying their hand.
The German champions have already offloaded Jeremie Frimpong to Liverpool for £29.5 million, and a deal for Wirtz would mark another high-profile exit. Crucially, the 22-year-old midfielder is said to be keen on a move to Merseyside, having rejected interest from Bayern Munich after being impressed by Liverpool’s long-term vision for him.
Should the deal go through, Wirtz could earn a staggering £355,000 a week at Anfield. He is currently with the German national team ahead of their Nations League third-place match against France in Stuttgart and is eager to have his future resolved swiftly.
Liverpool’s pursuit of Wirtz dates back several years. Michael Edwards, now CEO of Football for Fenway Sports Group, has been tracking the player since his days at FC Köln in 2020. Wirtz has since developed into one of the Bundesliga’s top talents, playing a pivotal role in Leverkusen’s 2023/24 title-winning campaign with 15 goals and 16 assists in 45 appearances across all competitions.
With the summer window heating up, Liverpool—who made just one signing (Federico Chiesa) before the 2024/25 season—are now taking decisive action. Having already landed Frimpong and nearing deals for Wirtz and Bournemouth full-back Milos Kerkez, the club will need to sell players to maintain financial balance.
Among those who could depart are Darwin Núñez, Harvey Elliott, Andy Robertson, and Chiesa, while goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has already joined Brentford in an £18 million deal.
