Premier League champions Liverpool have agreed a sensational £116 million deal to sign German attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, making him the club’s most expensive signing in history.
The total package for the 22-year-old consists of an initial £100 million, with a further £16 million in performance-related add-ons. If those bonuses are triggered, the fee would eclipse the current British record for a transfer, set when Chelsea signed Moises Caicedo from Brighton in 2023 for £115 million, including add-ons.
Wirtz’s arrival marks a major statement of intent from Liverpool, who are bolstering their squad after winning the 2024–25 Premier League title under new manager Arne Slot. The fee significantly surpasses the Reds’ previous record outlay for Darwin Núñez in 2022.
The German international is expected to undergo a medical next week upon returning from holiday, finalising what will become one of the biggest transfers in European football this summer. Manchester City were previously interested in securing Wirtz’s services but withdrew from negotiations due to the financial scale of the deal. Bayern Munich had also been linked, but the player reportedly favoured a move to Merseyside.
Wirtz leaves Bayer Leverkusen having made 197 appearances for the club, scoring 57 goals. He made his debut at just 17 and was instrumental in helping Leverkusen secure their historic first Bundesliga title in 2024. He followed that up with a strong 2024–25 campaign, registering 10 goals and 12 assists in 25 starts, as Leverkusen finished runners-up to Bayern Munich.
On the international stage, Wirtz has already racked up 31 caps and scored seven goals for Germany. Most recently, he found the net in Germany’s 2–1 UEFA Nations League semi-final defeat to Portugal.
The move for Wirtz continues a busy summer for Liverpool, who have already signed right-back Jeremie Frimpong from Leverkusen for £34 million. Talks are also ongoing with Bournemouth regarding a £45–£50 million deal for left-back Milos Kerkez. These signings follow a quiet 2024 summer window in which the club only brought in Federico Chiesa from Juventus for £12.5 million and goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia for £29 million—a deal that will see the Georgian international arrive before the upcoming season.
Liverpool’s limited spending in previous windows is understood to have played a role in enabling the current financial outlay.
Teammate Andy Robertson hailed Wirtz as an “exciting talent,” speaking before the transfer was officially confirmed. “He was excellent against us. He was the one causing problems, in the half space, running in behind—he can mix it up,” said Robertson, recalling their recent Champions League clash. “He was also excellent against us when Germany beat Scotland at Euro 2024. If we get him through the door, it’s exciting. We’ve already got a lot of talent, and he’ll only add to it.”
With Liverpool sealing the marquee signing of one of Europe’s most coveted young stars, expectations at Anfield for the coming season will be sky-high.