Florian Wirtz, Liverpool’s record-breaking bargain: LEWIS STEELE reveals the secrets of Premier League’s new most expensive player …and why he chose Reds over Bayern Munich

We got here to Munich armed with a burning query and left with a fair greater one.

Our jaunt was a mission to search out Florian Wirtz, to speak to those that know him and acquire an perception into the sensation among the many German inhabitants. In the end, we have been right here to ask: is the 22-year-old Bayer Leverkusen playmaker well worth the eye-watering, £100million-plus sum Liverpool are ready to cough up?

The reply to that could be a huge, fats sure. Completely sure, this particular famous person is price each penny to interrupt the Premier League’s switch report, with proof to help our declare to comply with.

However boarding our flight residence from storm-hit Bavaria to a equally dismal north west England, we have been bugged by one other query.

Within the bowels of the Allianz Enviornment, Mail Sport lingered within the muggy combined zone – the realm the place gamers go away the bottom and take a look at their greatest to keep away from reporters hungry for a quote or two – for about an hour ready for Wirtz, who had began and scored in Germany’s 2-1 Nations League semi-final defeat by Portugal.

As he walked previous, we requested a easy query: ‘Are you excited for Liverpool, Florian?’ He shot a look in our route and nodded.

Our jaunt was a mission to search out Wirtz, to speak to those that know him and acquire an perception into the sensation among the many German inhabitants

He scored Germany’s opener within the 2-1 defeat by Portugal on Wednesday night time

Greater than 4 million folks watched the video of the alternate inside just a few hours of it being posted and lots of Liverpool followers misplaced their minds. Was this Wirtz giving the nod that he’ll quickly be part of the Premier League champions?

Or, was it only a well mannered, younger chap nodding to say hi there and never flat-out ignoring us? Did he even perceive the dulcet, north-west England tones of this reporter?

Properly, we’ll let readers make their very own minds up on that – however a minimum of he didn’t shoot down discuss of Liverpool. He has type for denying tales after taking to social media on Tuesday to refute a German report that he was demanding Alexis Mac Allister’s No 10 shirt at Anfield.

Whatever the nonchalant nod and what it means, it seems Wirtz is certainly excited for Liverpool. Sources communicate of him brimming with enthusiasm to take this step out of his consolation zone to maneuver to England.

The Reds are in superior talks to interrupt their switch report to signal Wirtz, with folks right here this week insisting a deal is ‘99 per cent completed’ for the Leverkusen star to maneuver to England for a price that might be north of the £109m bid turned down final week.

For these worrying concerning the saga dragging on, let or not it’s emphasised: Wirtz needs the transfer. Liverpool need the transfer. Take these two issues collectively and it often results in a completed deal.

So, what are Liverpool getting for his or her cash?

‘Florian Wirtz is one of the best participant on the earth,’ says one fan who helps Borussia Dortmund however is sporting a Wirtz No 17 Germany shirt subsequent to his pal in a Jamal Musiala jersey. ‘He’s one of the best motherf***ing participant on the earth, sorry for my dangerous English!

Sources communicate of Wirtz brimming with enthusiasm to take this step out of his consolation zone to maneuver to England

Jamal Musiala (left) and Wirtz are the way forward for the German nationwide staff

He scored the opening aim of final 12 months’s Euros on residence soil as Germany beat Scotland 5-1

‘At Liverpool, he would be the No 1 participant. You’ll love him, I swear to God.’

One other fan provides: ‘His dribbling is superb, he’s incredible, technically good, he can shimmy previous different gamers. After all he might be signing for Liverpool. I believe he can win the Ballon d’Or within the subsequent few years.’

Glowing references, to say the least. Reproduction Wirtz kits have been the most typical noticed on the stroll from Frottmaning station to the Allianz. Clearly, he’s the poster boy, the chief of the following era, the child from the banks of the Rhine with the world at his toes.

He began on the left of the assault towards Portugal however repeatedly drifted into central areas to dictate play, additionally dropping deep to get on the ball extra. Arne Slot, it’s understood, sees him as a No 10 however his versatility can solely assist because the Liverpool head coach tries to maintain the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai and Mac Allister within the facet.

‘He can management the sport and the rhythm,’ says Maximilian Koch, chief reporter for the Night newspaper newspaper. ‘He jogs my memory of Andres Iniesta, a really clever and inventive participant. He may also rating and help, which makes him an entire participant.’

Fellow German soccer skilled Heiko Niedderer, who has labored at BILD for 20 years masking the nationwide staff, says: ‘He’s among the best offensive gamers we now have had. We have now the 2 of them, Musiala and Wirtz.

‘They’re each fairly particular however Wirtz is perhaps much more full now. He can do every thing. He’s actually nice on the ball, an incredible shooter, creating probabilities. He has developed very well.’

The 22-year-old scored 16 objectives and assisted 14 within the season simply gone, having registered 18 objectives and 19 assists within the marketing campaign earlier than, when he was the star man as Leverkusen went unbeaten to win an against-the-odds Bundesliga title – the primary of their historical past – and a German Cup in addition.

Wirtz is eager to make the swap from Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool for a possible Premier League report switch

Arne Slot, it’s understood, sees him as a No 10 however his versatility can solely assist because the Liverpool head coach tries to maintain the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister within the facet

He’s set to affix his former team-mate Jeremie Frimpong in swapping Leverkusen for Liverpool this summer season

He made 6.4 dribbles per 90 minutes (Szoboszlai, who performs in the identical place, is on 1.48). He’s adept off the ball, too, and received possession in his staff’s last third greater than some other Bundesliga participant this time period.

As a personality, Wirtz is described as quiet and right down to earth. He’s certainly one of 10 siblings born to Hanz and Karin, and his sister Juliane performs for Werder Bremen’s girls’s staff.

‘He’s a quiet man, not like a loud speaker,’ says a supply who has frolicked with Wirtz. ‘He’s cleverer than you assume, solely speaks when he needs to. He’s a cool man.’

Earlier this 12 months, a video was shared broadly in Germany of him rating several types of potato, which went viral on-line. Wirtz was irked by the actual fact non-football followers would now describe him as ‘potato boy’ for his dry, dead-pan Cole Palmer-like supply.

He has been along with his girlfriend Aaliyah, a mannequin, since 2022 however the pair maintain their relationship out of the general public eye. He’s huge mates with Jeremie Frimpong, whose transfer from Leverkusen to Liverpool was introduced final week. ‘I’m with Jeremie nearly daily off,’ Wirtz mentioned final 12 months. He additionally likes water sports activities.

Together with his father as his agent, most of his strikes are typically career-led somewhat than money-driven. He would have earned extra by going to Bayern Munich this summer season, for instance, however had his coronary heart set on Liverpool and has already been to the Cheshire space on a house-hunting mission.

‘I need to say I used to be fairly shocked he selected Liverpool, all of us anticipated he would go to Bayern,’ provides Niedderer. ‘However it is vitally good that he has stepped out of his consolation zone. Bayern would have been a smaller step, Liverpool is an enormous step. I believe it would do him very well.’

A transfer to Bayern would have upset Leverkusen followers, though he has type for making unpopular strikes given his youth membership Cologne are rivals of Leverkusen and their mega-rich Bayer empire, funded by the German pharmaceutical big.

Wirtz (left) got here by means of the Cologne academy earlier than switching to rivals Leverkusen

He would have earned extra at Bayern Munich, however had his coronary heart set on Liverpool

Within the 2023-24 season, Wirtz (centre) was the star man as Leverkusen went unbeaten to win an against-the-odds Bundesliga title and a German Cup in addition

Within the recreation itself, Mail Sport saved an eye fixed skilled on Wirtz’s each transfer.

His head was all the time on the swivel even when the ball was nowhere close to him, assessing what house there was to take advantage of ought to he acquire possession – and he was let down by his team-mates at occasions.

His headed aim on Wednesday night time was not a typical Wirtz end, but it surely was the ingenuity of an acute give-and-go adopted by a pleasant dart right into a harmful space that created it.

His work charge off the ball and velocity have been additionally a shock and will not come throughout on TV.

Wirtz’s greatest second got here along with his first contact. Out on the left with a simple backwards move on to recycle the ball, he as an alternative performed a looking cross to the again submit.

The ball didn’t look on and perhaps striker Nick Woltemade felt the identical as he couldn’t convert.

His head was all the time on the swivel even when the ball was nowhere close to him, assessing what house there was to take advantage of ought to he acquire possession

Whereas 40-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored the winner, let the sport move him by with few touches, Wirtz consistently brought on hazard

His work charge off the ball and velocity have been additionally a shock and will not come throughout on TV

Whereas 40-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored the winner, let the sport move him by with few touches, Wirtz consistently brought on hazard. And that cross was Kevin De Bruyne-like, making one thing out of nothing.

Funnily sufficient, De Bruyne additionally got here from the Bundesliga with an enormous status in Germany however with huge quarters of the English media calling him overpriced. Rival followers would possibly say the identical factor when Wirtz’s transfer is wrapped up.

However as De Bruyne departs our league a six-time English champion, nobody is speaking concerning the price ticket.

As former Liverpool supervisor Jurgen Klopp as soon as mentioned: ‘It is not so necessary what folks assume once you are available in… it is far more necessary what folks assume once you go away.’