Wirtz wants to 'win everything' for Liverpool after record move
Florian Wirtz said he wants to win it all at Liverpool after completing a blockbuster move from Bayer Leverkusen on Friday, which could reportedly rise to a Premier League record fee. HT Image
Reports in England said the Premier League champions will pay an initial £100 million for Wirtz, comfortably surpassing their own record outlay, with a further £16 million in performance-related add-ons making it a British record deal.
However, German media suggested the fee could be even higher, starting at 130 million euros with add-ons taking it to 150 million euros.
One of European football's elite young stars, Wirtz has been hailed as one of the "best in the world" by former Leverkusen coach and ex-Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso, who is the new boss of Real Madrid.
"I would like to win everything every year!" Wirtz told the club's website.
"In the end, we want to be successful. Last season they won the Premier League so my goal is for sure to win it again and also to go further in the Champions League. I'm really ambitious."
The 22-year-old played a crucial role in Leverkusen's greatest season as they claimed a first-ever Bundesliga title and the German Cup in 2023/24 without losing a single game under Alonso.
Their only defeat that season, during which Wirtz was crowned Bundesliga player of the year, came in the Europa League final to Atalanta, denying Leverkusen a memorable treble.
Bayern Munich restored their grip on the German game last season, with Leverkusen a distant second, and Wirtz is joining an exodus from the BayArena.
Netherlands defender Jeremie Frimpong has already made the move from Leverkusen to Liverpool last month.
"I'm really excited to have a new adventure in front of me," added Wirtz, who turned down the option of joining Bayern for the move to England.
"This was also a big point of my thoughts: that I want to have something completely new, to go out of the Bundesliga and to join the Premier League."
After largely keeping their powder dry in the transfer market during Arne Slot's first season in charge, the Reds are splashing out to strengthen a side that romped to a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title.
Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez is poised to make the move to Anfield in a £40 million deal.
Liverpool have also been linked with Newcastle striker Alexander Isak and Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi.
Where Wirtz's fits into Slot's plans remains to be seen.
He largely played behind a central striker at Leverkusen and has operated from a wider role for Germany.
A return of 57 goals and 65 assists in 197 games for Leverkusen is evidence that he carries a threat both as a creator and a goalscorer.
"The people say I'm a creative player, and I hope I can bring this creativity to the team and also the joy on the pitch," said Wirtz.
"I try to make assists, goals and run for the team to defend. I hope I can just make the team one step better."
Liverpool are already blessed with an abundance of forward options, with Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo all offering a goal threat.
However, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and Federico Chiesa now face even stiffer competition to get into Slot's starting line-up, raising the prospect of Liverpool selling some of that trio to free up further transfer resources.
kca/smg/ea
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Soccer-Brazilian flair trumps European complacency as Flamengo humble Chelsea
By Fernando Kallas HT Image PHILADELPHIA, - Flamengo delivered a potent reminder that the so-called superiority of European teams in club football is fading quickly after the Brazilian outfit beat Chelsea 3-1 in a Club World Cup contest that felt like a home match thousands of miles from Rio. The Brazilian champions turned Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field into a tropical carnival, with 55,000 passionate supporters creating an atmosphere that was in stark contrast to Chelsea's casual approach to the tournament. Just 24 hours after Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said the competition had "a pre-season feeling" to it and that he would rotate key starters throughout the group stage, his side became the second European giants in two days to be humbled by Brazilian opposition. Friday's result followed Paris St Germain's shock 1-0 defeat by Botafogo a day earlier that had ended Europe's 13-year dominance over South American opposition in intercontinental club football. Pedro Neto's opener for Chelsea proved to be a false start as they were given the run around following the interval. Flamengo, under the tactical guidance of former Blues defender Filipe Luis, responded with a ruthlessness that their theoretically superior rivals could not match. Bruno Henrique and Danilo struck in quick succession to flip the contest, before Nicolas Jackson's reckless red card – for a studs-up challenge that illustrated Chelsea's loss of composure – paved the way for youngster Wallace Yan to deliver the coup de grace. "When we conceded the first goal their fans started to be loud, and immediately after we conceded the second one," Chelsea's Marc Cucurella told DAZN, his words revealing the psychological impact of Flamengo's thunderous support. Following Yan's goal, the supporters let out synchronised chants of "olé" to hail their team's achievement. On Thursday, Botafogo put on a brilliant defensive performance to pull off the unexpected win over PSG, who had been in imperious form as they followed up their 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan in the Champions League final by routing Atletico Madrid 4-0 in their Club World Cup opener. Botafogo's solid discipline left PSG looking feeble and a shadow of the team that dominated European football throughout the season. "Botafogo were the team that has defended best against us all season. They were efficient. The only thing left for me is to congratulate them," PSG boss Luis Enrique told reporters. With Lionel Messi's Inter Miami also victorious against Porto, European clubs are in danger of returning home empty-handed from a tournament they had been odds on favourite to win. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Bamboo Farming Holds Promise to Uplift Vidarbha's Farmers: Experts
Nagpur: Senior scientist and agroforestry expert Vijay Illorkar on Friday said bamboo farming has immense potential to transform the agricultural landscape of Vidarbha, offering farmers a sustainable and profitable alternative. He was speaking at the first bamboo harvest at the Agroforestry Research Farm of Dr Punjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth (PDKV). Illorkar, who has been leading the study on bamboo since 2010, said that the university has submitted 15 key research-based recommendations to the state govt over the years, which have been implemented through various policies. Despite being a traditional resource, bamboo cultivation demands specialised skills. The tools used are still traditional, but training is necessary, as general labourers often cannot operate them effectively," he said. Illorkar emphasised the need to match bamboo varieties with available labour capacities, and also stressed the importance of fumigation and post-harvest handling. Adding to the discussion, bamboo entrepreneur Ashish Kaswa, who out of his 27 cultivation sites, collaborated with the PDKV and harvested the plant at the facility, said, "The plant has the natural ability to absorb toxic elements such as arsenic from water and convert them into harmless salts," he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending Local Enterprise Accounting Software [Click Here] Accounting ERP Click Here Undo Kaswa said that this could come in handy for Vidarbha, where many districts have high alkaline water. Additionally, bamboo retains 70–80% moisture in its early stages, requiring proper awareness to avoid premature harvesting. Despite its ecological and economic value, challenges in training labour, high harvesting costs, and misinformation have hindered widespread adoption. "Bamboo, unlike other crops, requires specific knowledge and labour training, which most daily-wage farm workers lack," said Kaswa adding that current harvesting costs of Rs2,000 per tonne need to be brought down to Rs 1,200 to make the venture viable. Historically, bamboo's use in India was curbed by the 1927 Forest Control Act imposed by the British, who restricted its cultivation and trade. "The Britishers labelled it 'poor man's timber' and psychologically distanced even the affluent Indians from its use," said Kaswa, adding that bamboo played a vital role in Indian culture, from surgical procedures to cremation. However, in 2017, bamboo was finally removed from the Forest Act by the Central govt.
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Teams from 'south' have Club World Cup heat advantage: Dortmund's Kovac
Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovac said Friday teams from the "south" have an advantage on European teams at the Club World Cup because of the current high temperatures in the United States. HT Image South American teams have impressed at the tournament and are unbeaten to this point, while Dortmund's South African opponents on Saturday, Mamelodi Sundowns, beat Ulsan HD in their first Group F match. Temperatures are expected to rise up to 32 degrees Celsius during the game at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, kicking off at 12:00 pm local time. Kovac's uninspired Dortmund were held to a 0-0 draw by Brazilian side Fluminense in their opening match on Tuesday. "At the moment in this tournament you see that the clubs from the south, I think they have a big advantage because of the conditions, of the heat," Croatian coach Kovac told reporters. "We're respecting every team and we know this is a very good team, from Africa, from South Africa." Brazilian side Botafogo stunned Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday, while Chelsea lost against another Brazilian team in Flamengo. Some players and coaches have complained about the heat and humidity they have been forced to play in at FIFA's expanded competition, as well as fans who have also suffered. "For the spectators in the stadium it is incredibly hot, now you can imagine how difficult it is for the players," continued Kovac. " 32 degrees when you're in the shade, and you're not even in the sun. So when you play inside the stadium you can assume it is 3, 4 or 5 degrees even hotter. "These are not excuses, it's just an explanation... this is very difficult, especially for the Europeans. The players from the south, for them it's easier because they are used to these temperatures." Kovac said his team would try to keep the ball away from Mamelodi because of the sweltering conditions in Ohio. "We need to prevent them from possessing the ball, we all know that it is going to be very warm, extremely hot tomorrow," said the coach. "We will play at noon tomorrow and we will play under the sunlight, we need to make sure we have the ball at all times. "If you have to run after the ball, it will mean a lot of effort." Kovac would not reveal if Jobe Bellingham, brother of Real Madrid star Jude, would be handed his first start, but said it was an option. "Don't forget to bring sunscreen, hat, and enough water to drink," Kovac warned reporters before departing. "Everyone on the bench will be under the sun for the entire time." Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso was hopeful of springing a surprise against Dortmund. "Upsets can happen when the mental conviction of the team is strong and their emotional connection is so strong that magic can happen," he told reporters. rbs/ea BORUSSIA DORTMUND This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
