Premier League champions Liverpool have reportedly agreed to a £116 million deal with Bayer Leverkusen to sign Germany international Florian Wirtz.
The package for the 22-year-old attacking midfielder includes a guaranteed £100 million upfront, with a further £16 million in performance-related add-ons. Those bonus payments would only be triggered if Liverpool enjoyed sustained success, which would make Wirtz the most expensive signing in British football history.
The current British record for an initial transfer fee stands at Chelsea’s £107 million signing of Enzo Fernández from Benfica in 2023. Chelsea also signed Moisés Caicedo from Brighton for an initial £100 million, which could rise to £115 million.
This transfer will, however, set a new club record for Liverpool, surpassing the fees paid for Darwin Núñez (£64m rising to £85m) and Virgil van Dijk (£75m).
Manchester City were previously interested in Wirtz but pulled out due to the high costs, while Bayern Munich were also linked.
However, the player is understood to have prioritised a move to Anfield, and Liverpool managed to negotiate a fee slightly below Leverkusen’s initial £126 million valuation.
