Florian Wirtz gives telling response to Liverpool question after Germany clash

Daily Mirror

a day ago

Liverpool are looking to finalise a deal for Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz, with the 22-year-old playmaker appearing to be keen on a move to Anfield this summer
Florian Wirtz appears to have confirmed he is "excited" to join Liverpool this summer, with the Reds having seen two bids rejected by Bayer Leverkusen. Liverpool's last bid was a package that totalled around £109.6million, but it was knocked back as Leverkusen value Wirtz at £126m.
Talks are ongoing between the two clubs and it is widely expected that they will reach an agreement, with the likes of Manchester City and Bayern Munich having pulled out of the race for the 22-year-old.
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Despite the ongoing speculation about his future, Wirtz started for Germany as they were beaten 2-1 by Portugal in their UEFA Nations League semi-final clash on Wednesday with manager Julian Nagelsmann insisting the player has not been affected by the situation.
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"Flo will play," Nagelsmann said ahead of the game, which saw Wirtz score Germany's only goal. "I don't sense any fear of injury or anything with him. He's a competitor who wants to play and be successful with us."
And after the match, Wirtz appeared to drop a hint about the transfer talks while walking through the mixed zone. When asked by the Daily Mail if he was "excited for Liverpool", Wirtz looked over and gave a nod.
Liverpool have already signed Jeremie Frimpong from Leverkusen and the club's managing director Simon Rolfes recently said: "It's currently an open subject with Florian.
"There is concrete interest from Liverpool, but there's no more to say right now. Florian is our player."
And fellow Leverkusen star Nathan Tella has backed Wirtz to succeed at Anfield if the Reds can finalise a deal for the playmaker. "He's great as well, you can see his ability every time he gets on the ball," Tella told Sky Sports earlier this month.
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"He's one of those players between the lines, he dribbles, he can create passes, he can score. For me as a forward he's great to play with. He's a very creative player, someone who can change the game just like that.
"He has so much talent, so much technical ability, he has an eye for goal, he's just a brilliant, a proper number 10. They should look forward to watching him (if he leaves)."