Liverpool shatter club transfer record to sign Germany midfielder Wirtz

Liverpool have signed Germany's Florian Wirtz from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, the Premier League champions said on Friday, as they smashed their transfer record to seal a deal for the attacking midfielder.

Leverkusen will receive a guaranteed amount of 100 million pounds ($134.64 million) and a further maximum of 16 million pounds in potential bonuses.

That makes the 22-year-old Liverpool's most-expensive signing ever, ahead of Netherlands centre back and captain Virgil van Dijk who joined for 75 million pounds in 2017.

Wirtz, who signed a five-year contract, also becomes the fifth 100 million pound plus signing in Premier League history, joining Chelsea midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, Arsenal's Declan Rice and Manchester City winger Jack Grealish.

"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," Wirtz said in a statement.

"I'm really excited to have a new adventure in front of me. This was also a big point of my thoughts: that I want to have something completely new, to go out of the Bundesliga and to join the Premier League."

With two years left on his Leverkusen contract, Wirtz was also heavily linked with a move to German champions Bayern Munich and Pep Guardiola's City, who were looking to replace Kevin De Bruyne after the Belgian playmaker's exit.

Wirtz was instrumental at Leverkusen, leading them to an undefeated domestic league and Cup double in the 2023-24 season while they went two league seasons without an away defeat.

The German bagged 57 goals and provided 65 assists in 197 appearances for Leverkusen, having joined the club from Cologne in 2020. He scored 16 goals, with 15 assists, in 45 matches last season as Leverkusen finished second to Bayern.

Capped 31 times by his country since his debut in 2021, Wirtz is the only player to register 10 or more goals and assists in the last two Bundesliga seasons.

MIDFIELD OPTIONS

While his arrival will add to Liverpool manager Arne Slot's midfield options, alongside Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones, Wirtz's versatility means he can also play on the left wing or as a false nine.

His signing is a statement of intent from Liverpool as they look to build on their success under Slot, the first Dutch manager to win the Premier League and the sixth coach to win the title in their first season.

"I would like to win everything every year! First of all, we have to do our work, I have to make my work," Wirtz added.

"In the end, we want to be successful. Last season they won the Premier League so my goal is for sure to win it again and also to go further in the Champions League. I'm really ambitious."

He becomes Liverpool's second addition of the transfer window after they signed Dutch right back Jeremie Frimpong, also from Leverkusen.

Bournemouth left back Milos Kerkez, 21, has also been linked with the Merseyside club.

($1 = 0.7427 pounds)