Liverpool set to beat out football powerhouses in record-breaking $244m move

Liverpool’s move for Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Florian Wirtz is all but confirmed, with the Reds agreeing to a British-record transfer fee of £116.5 million ($A244m) according to Sky Sports.

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While Liverpool was in the process of finalising the deal earlier in the week, Sky Sports reported on Friday evening that both sides have come to an agreement after the Reds submitted a third formal bid for Wirtz worth £100m ($A209m) plus £16.5m ($A35m) in potential add-ons.

Either way, it is a club record fee for Liverpool, easily surpassing the £75m ($A157m) record signing of captain Virgil van Dijk in 2018.

While Wirtz now has to agree to terms with Liverpool, that isn’t expected to be an issue given it has long been reported that he had interest in a potential move to Anfield despite also garnering attention from Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Real Madrid this summer.

Wirtz’s expected arrival may not be the last one at Liverpool this summer, with The Times reporting head coach Arne Slot is also targeting Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez.

Wirtz debuted for Leverkusen at just 17 years old, scoring 57 goals in 197 games with the club, and will undergo a medical next week when he returns from holiday.

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The 22-year-old is coming off a standout season in the Bundesliga and was previously described as “the full package” by former Germany boss and Barcelona manager Hansi Flick.

“Florian is just a huge asset with his care-free nature,” Flick said.

“He’s simply an outstanding technician, loves to play, is very creative, has a good shot, runs hard and is quick.”

Soon-to-be Liverpool teammate Andy Robertson, meanwhile, said the 22-year-old is an “exciting talent”.

“He was excellent against us. He was the one causing problems, in the half space, running in behind, he can mix it up,” Robertson told Sky Sports News, recalling the game Wirtz played for Germany in a 5-1 win over Scotland at Euro 2024.

“That was enough for me to see he’s going to be a top player. In the Germany team against us he was excellent.

“If we get him through, an exciting talent through the door. We have already got a lot of exciting talent. He’s a right good player and he’ll only help us. If he does get through the door we’ll be excited to play with him.”

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