'Add quality from a position of strength'
Liverpool's decision to spend £100m - and potentially £116m - on Florian Wirtz after being crowned champions is following the methods that served them well in the glory days of old.The great Anfield figures of the past always insisted the way to sustain success was to add quality from a position of strength rather than chase expensive arrivals to cure weaknesses.And Liverpool's position could not be much stronger after winning their 20th title.It is also a vindication of the policy of keeping their powder dry financially last summer, when many supporters wanted Liverpool to go into the markets, especially after a deal for Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi collapsed.Liverpool won the Premier League in Arne Slot's first season and now have the resources and pull to sign one of Europe's most sought after young stars.
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Powys County Times
26 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Saturday's briefing: Liverpool agree club-record deal for Florian Wirtz
Liverpool agreed a club-record deal with Bayer Leverkusen for playmaker Florian Wirtz. The much-anticipated move could break the British record, with the Germany star set to join his former team-mate Jeremie Frimpong at Anfield. Elsewhere, Thomas Frank reacted to his move to Tottenham, while Matheus Cunha spoke of his desire to help turn around Manchester United's fortunes. Wirtz capture close Premier League champions Liverpool are set to pay up to £116million to sign Wirtz after Leverkusen finally settled on a fee. The Reds had two bids rejected, the last one of £113m, which would have seen £100m paid up front with performance-related add-ons, but have finally got the deal over the line. Liverpool will still pay an initial £100m – comfortably surpassing their own record outlay – but the performance-related add-ons, if achieved, would make it a potential British record. Liverpool's overall outlay could surpass the £115m Chelsea paid Brighton in 2023 for Moises Caicedo. Striker Darwin Nunez was the Reds' previous record signing in 2022, although they have not paid the full £85m as he has not met all the requirements for certain add-ons to be due. Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez is next on Liverpool's list, which could take their summer spending close to £200m. Frank gets to work We are delighted to announce the appointment of Thomas Frank as our new Head Coach on a contract that runs until 2028. Welcome, Thomas! 🤍 — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) June 12, 2025 Tottenham are prepared to rival Manchester United for Brentford attacker Bryan Mbeumo this summer after the appointment of Frank, the PA news agency understands. Spurs announced former Brentford boss Frank as their new head coach on Thursday night on a three-year deal. One of Frank's first moves in charge could be to try and tempt Mbeumo to follow him across London. The Dane declared 'a big piece of my heart' would always remain at Brentford in an emotional message posted on their official website. 'The time has come for me to move on. But, even as I leave, I know I have left a big piece of my heart at Brentford, not just at the football club but with the community and, of course, the incredible and loyal supporters,' said Frank. 'I want to extend my profound gratitude to the club for giving me the chance to pursue my dreams and for everyone involved who made the journey such a memorable one.' Dream move for Cunha View this post on Instagram A post shared by Manchester United (@manchesterunited) Matheus Cunha is delighted to have joined his 'dream' team and determined to help Manchester United bounce back from their worst season in 51 years. The 20-time English champions are in the midst of a rebuild under Ruben Amorim, having limped home 15th in the Premier League and lost the Europa League final to fellow strugglers Tottenham. The Red Devils' issues did not deter Brazil international Cunha, who completed his eagerly-anticipated £62.5million switch from Wolves on Thursday. 'It is the most common phrase that you can say at this moment, but this is the dream come true,' he told MUTV. 'Maybe outside, I think maybe my decision, they don't understand. But when you have always dreamed to play here, it's easier to pick this decision. 'For me, no-one else is like United. Of course, I know it's been a hard season for everyone. I think my decision shows what this club is for me and what I believe this club can be.' Mikey eyes more silverware One player hoping to impress Frank is Spurs youngster Mikey Moore, but the teenager's immediate focus is ending an unforgettable breakthrough campaign with another European trophy. The highly-rated 17-year-old made 19 appearances in all competitions for his boyhood club, with five of those coming in the Europa League. The winger was on the bench for the final in Bilbao and three weeks on has more continental glory in his sights as England kick off their bid for Under-19 European Championship glory. 'It was a top experience – some of the best times of my life on that Wednesday night,' Moore told PA. 'Hopefully going on to win another medal and another trophy with these boys here would be a brilliant feeling and experience for everyone. 'There's some top players. We think we can go on and hopefully win the tournament. It's been a good little build-up but excited to get into the games now.' What's on today? The summer of fútbol kicks off tomorrow. 👊 Let's Dial In. ✨ — Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) June 13, 2025 The Club World Cup gets under way on Saturday night at the Hard Rock Stadium, with Inter Miami playing in their home city against Egyptians Al Ahly in Group A.
The Sun
31 minutes ago
- The Sun
Mobile network offering DOUBLE data SIM-only deal – get 200GB for £12p/m
For anyone looking to switch networks, it's a great time to upgrade. Smarty has some seriously good data boosting SIM-only plans right now, with up to 200GB of data for just £12. 1 Smarty SIM-only deal, 100GB 200GB data for £12/month BUY FROM SMARTY I've covered SIM-only deals for a while now, and over time, you learn to spot the real gems from the overhyped fluff. This latest offer from Smarty is easily one of the better ones to pop up in recent months. Right now, Smarty is running two impressive promotions that boost data without hiking up the price. If you're someone who chews through mobile data, these are well worth a look. The first is its 16GB plan, which has just been bumped up to 50GB per month, all while staying at just £8. The real eye-catcher, though, is Smarty's 100GB plan, which has now been doubled to 200GB for just £12 a month. That's a huge amount of data for a great price, especially since there's usually a big leap between low GB plans and Unlimited. Deals like this make Unlimited plans feel less necessary, and are ideal if you're not a heavy user but still want peace of mind. It's also a great time to join Smarty, as the provider runs on Three's network, which is in line for some major improvements following Three's merger with Vodafone. That means better coverage and faster speeds are likely on the horizon as the networks start sharing infrastructure. Best SIM-only deals from Smarty If you want to spend less and use less data, or if Unlimited is what you need, Smarty has plenty of other budget-friendly deals going right now. Smarty plans are all rolling 1-month contracts, meaning you're never locked in and can switch or cancel easily. It's another reason the network is a favourite for budget-savvy shoppers. And if you're in the market for a new handset too, this week has delivered some tempting extras in the Android world. One major provider is offering a free tech bundle worth £410 when you pick up the latest Honor phone, with plans starting from just £20 per month. If these deals aren't quite the right fit, check out our roundup of the best SIM-only deals across the big networks.
Daily Mirror
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Liverpool agree record Florian Wirtz transfer as payment structure detailed
Liverpool have finally agreed a deal to sign Florian Wirtz in what will be a British-record deal as the Reds cough up £100m up front with more signings of their radar Liverpool will pay a British-record fee to sign Florian Wirtz this summer after a £116million deal was finally agreed with Bayer Leverkusen. They'd seen several bids rejected, but have finally enjoyed a breakthrough. The Reds led the queue for the player with Bayern Munich and Manchester City both previously keen. But in recent weeks the Premier League champions have had a free run at Wirtz and have struck a deal with the Bundesliga outfit. Arne Slot has been aggressive in attacking the transfer market and is looking to add a second Leverkusen player after already signing Jeremie Frimpong, who arrived as Trent Alexander-Arnold's replacement. Liverpool's business is unlikely to end with Wirtz and their outlay this summer could exceed £200m as they continue to eye other recruits in all areas of the squad. Here's the latest from Anfield. Structure of Wirtz deal Liverpool have committed to pay £100m guaranteed. That is more than the club has ever paid for a single player even including add-ons. However the overall cost of the deal will exceed the £115m which Chelsea paid Brighton for Moises Caicedo in 2023. That shows the belief within Anfield for the ability of the Germany international both now and in the future with those who have watched him intently sure there's still huge scope for improvement for a player who had 30 goal contributions last season. It's a complex and complicated deal but that is standard nowadays for a player who is so highly-rated. The transfer window is now closed again until next week but deals can still be agreed and medicals done. The deal will be made official next week. Frankfurt issue Ekitike warning Frankfurt CEO Markus Krosche maintains the club don't need so sell Hugo Ekitike amid Premier League interest. Liverpool and Chelsea are both keen on the French frontman, who has been valued at around £85m. The Bundesliga side cashed in on Ekitike's former team-mate Omar Marmoush in January, with the forward joining Man City in a £59m deal. 'If the price isn't right, then he'll just stay with us," Krosche told Wiesbadener Kurier when discussing the player. "We don't have to sell Hugo.' Frankfurt are keen on Mainz's Jonathan Burkardt as they look to bolster their attacking ranks. The German international could join Ekitike rather than replacing him, though, with Mainz after a fee north of £25m. Wirtz role turned his head German football expert Constantin Eckner claims that Wirtz's decision to pick Liverpool over Bayern Munich is partly because he will be the main playmaker. He told BBC Sport: "What ultimately influenced his decision is that Arne Slot in particular offered Wirtz the best plan for the next couple of years, meaning Wirtz will be Liverpool's number 10 - the centrepiece. "Of course Mohamed Salah is still there, but how many more years will he play for Liverpool? His days are somewhat numbered. Then, Wirtz will be the centerpiece of the Reds attacking system."
