When Liverpool signed Benfica striker Darwin Núñez for a club-record £85 million in June 2022, it felt like a staggering sum — especially given the club’s recent reputation for shrewd, sales-driven business rather than big-money purchases.
But the fee Liverpool paid for Núñez may soon look like chump change. On Friday morning, reports emerged that the Reds have officially increased their offer to around £125 million for Bayer Leverkusen’s attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz, who now appears all but set for a move to Merseyside.
The fee for a single player may seem eye-popping— especially considering Liverpool signed long-term cornerstones Virgil van Dijk and Alisson for a combined total just £20 million more — but there are plenty of reasons to believe Florian Wirtz will be worth every penny.
Time is on his side
At just 22 years old, Wirtz has already accomplished a great deal in his senior career — from standout performances during Germany’s run to the quarterfinals at Euro 2024 to playing a pivotal role in Bayer Leverkusen’s historic first-ever Bundesliga title.
Liverpool already boast an exceptionally strong midfield, and like Wirtz, the core is young.
Dominik Szoboszlai, who enjoyed a standout season under Arne Slot, is just 24, while the Reds can also claim the 2024–25 Premier League Young Player of the Season in 23-year old Ryan Gravenberch.
It’s clear that Arne Slot is aiming to strike a perfect balance, assembling a squad that blends Premier League veterans like Mohamed Salah and Andrew Robertson with rising stars like Wirtz.
The excitement around this project has only grown with the official announcement of 24-year old Jeremie Frimpong joining the club Friday, along with 21-year old Milos Kerkez rumored move brewing.
The prospect of a side built for both immediate success — with back-to-back titles in sight — and long-term sustainability for when the old guard steps aside should have Liverpool fans absolutely buzzing.
Taking the load off Salah
As hard as it is to find faults in Liverpool’s 2024–25 campaign, one recurring issue stood out: the burden of sparking creativity on the frontlines often fell heavily on Mohamed Salah.
While Salah rose to the challenge brilliantly—finishing with a staggering 29 more goal contributions than Luis Díaz, the next-best contributor, and securing both the Premier League Golden Boot and Playmaker awards in the process—this gap underscored the need for greater support from the rest of the attacking group next season.
Especially with Núñez seemingly on his way out and Díaz attracting interest from top clubs like Barcelona, attacking creativity stands out as Wirtz’s key attribute.
His arrival at a club that scored the most goals in England and the fourth-most across Europe last season adds a new dimension to Liverpool’s forward line.
Like Salah, Wirtz has the ability to rack up both goals and assists, with his 22 goal contributions ranking seventh in the Bundesliga this season—an impressive feat considering he often plays deeper on the pitch compared to other German stars like strikers Harry Kane and Serhou Guirassy.
It’s incredibly exciting to imagine how Wirtz will develop by learning from a player with a similar all-around playmaking ability like Salah.
The prospect of the two linking up on the pitch soon holds the promise of something truly magical.
His desire to be a Red is invigorating
Sometimes, it is about pride.
Perhaps more than any other aspect of the deal, Wirtz’s strong desire to become a Red sends a much-needed message to the fanbase and other top clubs: Liverpool remain a premier destination for marquee talent—for several important reasons.
Seeing Trent Alexander-Arnold leave for Real Madrid was a tough blow. Here was a local hero who had won it all with the club, yet still didn’t feel Liverpool was the team worthy of his continued service as he enters the prime of his career.
Alongside Trent’s departure, Liverpool also missed out on other top talents like Jude Bellingham to Los Blancos; but Wirtz won’t be following that path.
Despite recent reports that the Spanish giants attempted a last-minute hijack—especially with his former manager Xabi Alonso now at the helm in Madrid—it’s clear Wirtz has wanted to join Liverpool from the very start, sending a strong message to the rest of Europe.
In addition to also turning down domestic rivals Bayern Munich, Wirtz also informed Manchester City—known for their willingness to spend big—that he wasn’t interested.
While City will be eager to dethrone Liverpool after a surprisingly underwhelming season by their lofty standards, Wirtz appears convinced that Liverpool remain the club to beat in England.
The Reds have caught flack in recent seasons for missing out on deals for players like Moisés Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.
But this signing doesn’t just inject the squad with incredible talent—it sends a powerful message to both the club and its fans that Liverpool no longer has to rely solely on smart signings such as their midfield rebuild in the summer of 2023.
With this signing, the club has firmly reestablished itself as a destination that top players see as a pinnacle in their careers.