Florian Wirtz set to join Liverpool - Bayer Leverkusen break several transfer records

09.06.2025 - 09:21 | source: Transfermarkt | Reading Time: 3 mins

Transfer imminent

Florian Wirtz set to join Liverpool - Bayer Leverkusen break several transfer records

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Bayer Leverkusen and Liverpool are on the verge of agreeing on a €150 million deal for Florian Wirtz. Transfermarkt can confirm reports by the British and German press that an agreement is now close. While the German national team player was representing his country at the UEFA Nations League final four this last week, the two clubs closed in on an agreement. Liverpool made several offers that fell short of Leverkusen's evaluation of the player. Backed by Bayer AG, the Leverkusen bosses have been adamant that Wirtz was only allowed to leave for a deal in the region of €150m. That determination is now set to pay off for the Bundesliga club.

Market Value F. Wirtz Attacking Midfield € 140.00 m

Once completed, Wirtz will become the most expensive German player, the most expensive player in Premier League history, and the third most expensive player in the world. According to the Transfermarkt database, the transfer fee of the 22-year-old playmaker surpasses the €121m Chelsea paid to Benfica for Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernández in January 2023. The deal is also larger than what Chelsea paid for Moisés Caicedo to Brighton in August 2023. That deal, including add-ons, can grow to €133m.

Where does Wirtz rank among German players? Bayer Leverkusen also holds the current record for the most expensive player in German history. Die Werkself sold Kai Havertz for €80m to Chelsea in the summer of 2020. After scoring the game winner in the 2021 Champions League final, Havertz was then sold to city rivals Arsenal in the summer of 2023 for €75m, which constitutes the second biggest fee in history for a German player. To put that in perspective, the Wirtz deal on its own is almost equivalent to the combined value of the two Havertz transfers.

Record transfer – What can Florian Wirtz add to Liverpool?

The transfer also adds a new dimension to Liverpool’s long and storied history. The English record champions have never before spent more than €100m for a new player. Darwin Núñez holds the current record. The Uruguayan forward was signed for €85m ahead of the 2022/23 season from Portuguese giants Benfica. Wirtz will also become the most expensive arrival from the Bundesliga, breaking a record held by Dominik Szoboszlai. The Hungarian attacking midfielder arrived for €70m from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023.

What can Liverpool fans expect from Wirtz? Wirtz is one of the most talented German footballers in at least a generation. Indeed, Wirtz dominated German football like no player before him in the 2023/24 season when Leverkusen became the first Bundesliga club to win the title undefeated. On that run, Wirtz scored 11 goals and 12 assists in 32 games. Although Leverkusen somewhat dropped off this season, Wirtz was still highly productive, scoring ten goals and 13 assists in 30 Bundesliga games. The 22-year-old also scored six goals and one assist in nine Champions League games. And there is a sense that this is just the tip of the iceberg. This is also reflected in his market value, which stands at €140m.

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