Liverpool are advancing on a British record move for Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz. As the deal nears, we take a look at each Premier League club’s record signing.
Liverpool Advancing On British Record Florian Wirtz Move
Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz is reportedly close to completing a British record move to join Liverpool.
The Athletic‘s David Ornstein reports that the Reds have submitted a deal worth upwards of £109m in total. It is believed that the deal is comprised of a fixed fee, along with further potential add-ons.
Additionally, Ornstein’s report claims that Wirtz is keen to join the Premier League champions. Bayern Munich are also said to be interested in landing the 22-year-old this summer, while he has been among Manchester City’s transfer targets too.
Last week, it was suggested that the player wanted to stay in Germany. However, it now looks as though Liverpool have won the race for his signature, with Wirtz on the verge of joining Arne Slot and co. on Merseyside.
The 29-time Germany international has been one of the standout stars in the German top-flight across the last few seasons. He ended the 2024-25 campaign with 10 goals and 12 assists in 25 starts as Leverkusen finished second. Wirtz was also awarded the Bundesliga Player of the Year award in 2023-24 after leading his side to a first-ever league title.
If the move is completed for the fee currently being reported, Liverpool are set to smash their transfer record. Their current record fee is for Darwin Nunez, who they signed from Benfica in 2022-23 for £76.8m.
Every Premier League Club’s Record Signing
| Club | Player | Fee | Season |
| Chelsea | Enzo Fernandez | £106.8m | 22/23 |
| Arsenal | Declan Rice | £105.00m | 23/24 |
| Manchester City | Jack Grealish | £100.00m | 21/22 |
| Manchester United | Paul Pogba | £89.00m | 16/17 |
| Liverpool | Darwin Nunez | £76.80m | 22/23 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | Dominic Solanke | £65.00m | 24/25 |
| Newcastle United | Alexander Isak | £63.00m | 22/23 |
| Aston Villa | Amadou Onana | £50.00m | 24/25 |
| West Ham United | Sebastian Haller | £45.00m | 19/20 |
| Everton | Gylfi Sigurdsson | £45.00m | 17/18 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | Matheus Cunha | £44.00m | 23/24 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | Georginio Rutter | £40.00m | 24/25 |
| Bournemouth | Evanilson | £40.20m | 24/25 |
| Leeds United | Georginio Rutter | £35.50m | 22/23 |
| Nottingham Forest | Elliot Anderson | £35.00m | 24/25 |
| Brentford | Igor Thiago | £30.00m | 24/25 |
| Fulham | Emile Smith Rowe | £27.00m | 24/25 |
| Crystal Palace | Christian Benteke | £27.00m | 16/17 |
| Burnley | Zeki Amdouni | £15.00m | 23/24 |
| Sunderland | Didier Ndong | £13.6m | 16/17 |
Note: All figures provided by transfermarkt.co.uk.
Where Will Florian Wirtz Rank Among Record Signings?
As previously mentioned, Liverpool are not only set to sign Wirtz for a club record fee but also a British record fee.
Chelsea’s move for Enzo Fernandez off the back of the 2022 World Cup in January 2023 is the current record, as they signed the Argentine for £106.8m. Declan Rice to Arsenal (£105m), Jack Grealish to Manchester City (£100m), Moises Caicedo to Chelsea (£100m) and Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea (£97.5m) follow as the league’s most expensive arrivals.
Wirtz will move straight to the top of that list, over £2m clear of Fernandez’s transfer fee. He is also set to become the most expensive German arrival in the Premier League since Kai Havertz, who joined Chelsea for £67.5m in 2020.
Havertz, who has since been shipped off to Arsenal for £65m, also arrived in England from Bayer Leverkusen. Liverpool fans will be hoping that Wirtz is more of a success story than his compatriot in the division, however.
News that the youngster is closing in on a move to Anfield comes at a welcome time too, as Real Madrid have just announced the signing of Trent Alexander-Arnold. The England international is set to link up with former Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso in the Spanish capital, and he is now eligible to feature in next month’s Club World Cup.
