Liverpool are desperate to complete a deal for Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz this summer but are struggling to agree on a fee – though club legend Steven Gerrard feels the club should do what it takes to get the signing done
Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has urged his former club to do what’s necessary to sign Florian Wirtz this summer, with the Reds still attempting to strike a deal with Bayer Leverkusen. The German talent is one of Europe’s hottest properties after some stunning form in the Bundesliga in recent seasons.
Wirtz managed 16 goals and 13 assists in all competitions as he helped Leverkusen to a second placed finish in the German top flight.
Last season, his incredible displays inspired the team to their first ever Bundesliga title win as they also claimed the German Cup and reached the Europa League final.
Now Liverpool look like frontrunners to sign the 22-year-old after Arne Slot held discussions with the player and convinced them Anfield was the perfect place for his future development, ahead of rivals Bayern Munich.
The reigning Premier League champions now need to agree on a fee for Wirtz, with the German outfit holding out for around £125million.
READ MORE: Gary Neville gives Florian Wirtz to Liverpool transfer verdict as Man Utd icon left ‘surprised’READ MORE: Liverpool’s Rayan Cherki agreement met amid ongoing Florian Wirtz transfer negotiations
Liverpool have already had two bids rejected after initially offering £84 with £12.6m in bonus. After that was rejected they upped it again and tabled an overall package which totalled £109.6m, but both were ultimately knocked back reports Kicker.
Now Gerrard has told Liverpool to “make it happen” after hailing him as a “big talent” who has a “huge future in front of him”.
Speaking to TNT Sports, he said: “There are rumours obviously, Florian Wirtz. A big talent, who’s done fantastic for Xabi Alonso at Leverkusen. He’s got a huge future in front of him, so if Liverpool is the place for him, let’s hope we can make it happen.”
Liverpool are also in the running to sign left-back Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth after also landing right-back Jeremie Frimpong as Trent Alexander-Arnold’s replacement.
Gary Neville has weighed in on Liverpool’s quest to sign Wirtz, claiming they will have a big chance of retaining their title if they can pull off the signing, along with Kerkez.
“I think when you’re talking about winning the league, what is it that improves you? I mean, the only thing that’s going to improve you when you win the league is signing world-class players, or players that have got the potential to be world-class players. So signing Wirtz is fantastic.
“Frimpong and then there’s talk of Kerkez as well, deals with their right and left-back situations. So to get those three done, if they were to get those three done quite quickly, would be smart business. But I wouldn’t have expected anything else from Liverpool.
“[I’m] Maybe slightly surprised that they’ve gone so heavy on Wirtz in terms of the fee. They don’t normally go that big, but Slot deserves it, by the way. He waited 12 months for a player to sign.”
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