Florian Wirtz Becomes the Most Expensive Signing in Premier League History

On Friday, the saga surrounding Florian Wirtz's future came to an end as Liverpool agreed to pay €137.5 million to Bayer Leverkusen to secure the talented German midfielder for the 'Reds'. This acquisition marks one of the most coveted talents in the market. The transfer fee, consisting of an initial payment of €117.5 million (£100 million) and an additional €18.8 million (£16 million) in variables, sets a new Premier League record, surpassing the previous benchmark set by Chelsea when they paid €133 million to Brighton in the summer of 2023 to recruit Ecuadorian midfielder Moisés Caicedo.

Liverpool was Wirtz's preferred destination, despite interest from Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. He will now embark on a new chapter in his career by moving to the Premier League. The German international, whose contract with Leverkusen was set to expire on June 30, 2027, will sign with Liverpool under Arne Slot for the next five seasons, becoming a key figure for the reigning Premier League champions, where he will reunite with his former Bayer Leverkusen teammate Jeremie Frimpong.

After paying €40 million for the Dutch right-back, Liverpool has finalized another deal with the 'Aspirin Club' to bring in Wirtz, one of the world's most promising stars. Wirtz was instrumental in Leverkusen's historic treble (Bundesliga, Cup, and German Super Cup) two years ago under the guidance of current Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso, and also reached the Europa League final against Atalanta.

Trained in the youth ranks of Cologne and later Leverkusen, where he debuted with the first team at 17, Wirtz played 197 matches for the 'Aspirin Club', scoring 57 goals and providing 65 assists. Despite a severe injury in the 2021-22 season, where he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a Bundesliga match against Cologne, the Rhineland diamond has emerged as one of the most dazzling players in Europe and is also a key player for the German national team, with whom he recently competed in the Nations League 'final four', finishing fourth after losing to Portugal in the semi-finals and then to France in the third-place match.

Wirtz will join Liverpool after scoring 16 goals and providing 14 assists under Xabi Alonso's guidance last season, during which Leverkusen relinquished the Bundesliga throne to a Bayern team that sought to recruit the midfielder but ultimately withdrew from the race due to the high financial demands of the 'Aspirin Club' and the intervention of Liverpool, who ultimately secured the deal.