Latest news with #FlorianWirtz
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Chelsea beating Liverpool to Hugo Ekitike proves Reds right again in transfer market
Hugo Ekitike is among the strikers who have been linked with Liverpool, but it sounds as though the Reds are behind Chelsea in the running to sign the Eintracht Frankfurt star. Earlier this week, it was reported that Chelsea had also moved into pole position to sign Liam Delap from Ipswich Town; were it any other club that was closing in on Delap and Ekitike, soccer fans' eyebrows would be raised at the prospect of a club signing two No.9s who will both expect to be first-choice picks wherever they go. Advertisement Because it's Chelsea, nobody is batting an eyelid — the Stamford Bridge club has gained a reputation in recent years for signing an inordinate amount of players. READ MORE: Liverpool transfer news LIVE: Florian Wirtz mega offer, Luis Diaz 'talks', Jeremie Frimpong confirmed READ MORE: Bayer Leverkusen sends cryptic Florian Wirtz social media post as Liverpool transfer edges closer Liverpool will not panic in the wake of the Ekitike development, though, and the Anfield club hasn't often got it wrong in the transfer window over the past decade or so. It's unlikely the Reds will be rushing to outbid Chelsea, so even if Ekitike and Delap end up joining the West London club, fans can rest assured that their club will have a plan in place for all eventualities. Advertisement Liverpool is already closing in on a deal to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, while Jeremie Frimpong's services have been secured, and talks are also under way to sign Milos Kerkez. The pursuit of those three players shows that Liverpool knows exactly what it is doing in the transfer market, and potentially missing out on Ekitike will not change that. Meanwhile, Wirtz's move to Liverpool imminent, according to reports in Germany. The Reds reportedly tabled a second, improved bid for the player on Friday, which could amount to €130 million ($148M/£109M). That would be a record-breaking transfer for Liverpool, but that fee is considered appropriate for a player of such high calibre and quality. Florian Wirtz is expected to join Jeremie Frimpong at Anfield -Credit:Getty Images Bayern Munich was the favorite to sign Wirtz early last week - that was even the general consensus at Liverpool - but that view has switched, with the 22-year-old expected to move to Anfield. Advertisement German outlet Bild, which first reported Liverpool's second bid, now claims it will be 'only a matter of days before the transfer is formally completed', with a contract agreed between the club and Wirtz that will run until 2030. Wirtz's former Leverkusen teammate, Frimpong, completed his move to Anfield on Friday after arriving in the UK on a private jet earlier in the week to finalize the move. He told club media: 'Liverpool fans, I'm going to give my all, my energy, my work-rate and hopefully we can win together, we celebrate together, get everything together. 'I'm just excited to be here. Thank you guys for accepting me and I won't let you guys down and I'll give you the energy that you guys want.'
The Irish Sun
4 hours ago
- Business
- The Irish Sun
How Florian Wirtz will bring a new dimension to Liverpool and why the German star could be a £109million bargain
LIVERPOOL are ready to spend a huge £109million on Bayer Leverkusen superstar Florian Wirtz. They moved quickly to try to acquire the services of the 22-year-old, who has snubbed German giants 11 The Reds have bid £109m for the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Credit: GETTY 11 Florian Wirtz is said to be keen on joining Liverpool after a productive chat with Kop chief Arne Slot Credit: AP It will be a statement signing by The Reds have already made The Liverpool for £29.5m to replace outing who is joining . The moves come on the back of extra investment in the squad with the new deals completed for Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL Wirtz is considered a generational talent in And he will bring a touch of the unpredictable to Liverpool 's attack next season. Tactics expert Lee Scott believes the arrival of Wirtz will help prolong the career of one of their biggest stars. Goal threat Last season saw Wirtz contribute an impressive 16 goals and 15 assists in 45 games across all competitions for Bayer Leverkusen . Most read in Football BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK His ability to create space for himself and to be decisive in the final third really stood out as key for Leverkusen as they attempted to retain their Bundesliga title. He is dangerous in 1v1 situations when picking up possession wide or in the inside channel, or even centrally. And when he is moving at pace he is a threat with his shooting from distance with the ability to generate power and accuracy. Positionally when he is in the attacking third he does not really stick to one area and instead likes to drift to find himself pockets of space. Jamie Carragher reveals why PSG's Luis Enrique is refusing to speak to him and CBS Sports before Champions League final 11 Wirtz had 10 goals in the Bundesliga last season Looking at the current Liverpool squad it is likely that Slot will want to use him from the left of the three-man attack with Salah on the right. This will effectively give Liverpool true gamebreakers on either side of the attacking three. In the example below, Wirtz takes possession with the opposition, who are leading, in a deep defensive block. The thing that makes Wirtz different to most young attackers as this defensive block is not a barrier for him. He takes the ball and drives through the centre of the defensive block before scoring from the edge of the area. 11 Wirtz receives the ball wide on the left wing but has the ability to drive to goal from an unlikely starting point 11 Wirtz drifts into space but prefers the left side Increasingly we have seen teams have to worry about the performances of Salah on the right-side for Liverpool. This means that teams tend to slide their defensive blocks slightly over to that side of the pitch. They want more protection against the Egyptian international and try to stop him going 1v1 against a single defender. Now, with Wirtz on the other side of the flank, opposition teams cannot overload their defence to either side. Next season Liverpool will have one of the most balanced and dangerous attacks in football . Wirtz is also very comfortable in the inside channels when receiving the ball. With rumours that Liverpool are also looking to add an attacking left back, they could be heavily reinforced on the left-side of the pitch to help to break down deep and stubborn defensive blocks. In this second example, Wirtz is holding the width and playing on the outside of the deepest opposition defender. As he receives the ball in these positions he generates real threat with his ability to drive inside and finish. 11 Wirtz is a genuine goal threat and is able to play on the wing or in the middle Adding a player of Wirtz's quality to their attacking options will increase the output from Liverpool in front of goal. But it will also make it far more difficult for opposition teams and coaches to figure out how to defend against them. Creativity in the final third As we have already mentioned above, Wirtz finished with an impressive 15 assists in all competitions for Bayer Leverkusen last season. While his goal output will be important for Liverpool in terms of adding direct threat to their attack, his creativity in and around the final third will also bring value for Slot's team. Wirtz takes intelligent positions on the pitch to receive the ball and often finds himself in a pocket of space. The fact that he is then a threat to turn and drive at teams through the centre of the pitch makes defenders less likely to want to get tight to defend against him aggressively as they run the risk of being quickly outplayed. The fact that they will then tend to sit off against him though just gives him the time and space to find passes to outplay the defensive line. 11 Wirtz has the ability to read the game, and here picks out the run of Garcia and pulls the ball back to the edge of the penalty area Wirtz doesn't always play the obvious pass. Here, he goes out wide and gets his head up and instead of firing across goal as many other players would he identifies that the better ball is a deep cut back to the edge of the area to the incoming Aleix Garcia, who then scores. One of the things that makes Wirtz such a dangerous player around the final third of the pitch is that he seems to be able to slow the game down and find time to get his head up to identify the best option. 11 Wirtz is one of the best passers in Europe He is rarely rushed, even when under pressure, and he has the technical ability to stay on the ball and then find the correct option at the correct time. Having a player who is a creative passer in their forward options will bring another dimension for Liverpool in their attack. While they have the likes of In the example below, Wirtz is in possession with a solid defensive block ahead of him. He sees the angle to bypass the entire opposition defence with a low driven through ball to release his striker in behind. 11 Wirtz hits the killer pass to put the striker clean through on goal Liverpool are obviously looking for ways to make themselves less predictable in the attack. Signing a player who is as creative and dangerous as Wirtz will go a long way to making that happen for them. Intelligence in the opposition half We touched on the fact that Wirtz is the kind of attacking player who is able to slow the game down when under pressure and in tight spaces. This is a mark of his game intelligence and the fact that he has the technical level to be able to trust himself and his touch when under pressure. He has an innate ability to be able to take the ball and make positive decisions with the ability to hurt the opposition defence. He can get on the ball and either drive forward into the heart of the penalty area or he can play on the half-turn and combine quickly or play the final pass to break through the opposition defensive line. In the example below, he gets on the ball in the No10 position and immediately drives forward into the heart of the opposition defensive block. 11 Wirtz makes a driving run into the Dortmund defence While this may not always lead to a shooting opportunity for himself it will pull defenders towards him and create space for teammates. He scans and checks his shoulder often in the final third and this means that he will find himself in space with time to receive the ball whether that is wide or in more central areas of the pitch. This will allow Liverpool to quickly progress the ball forward and into more dangerous areas of the pitch. This time we see Wirtz occupying intelligent spaces in the final third and between the lines. As he receives the ball he has no defenders in a position to immediately get touch-tight to him and he can take the ball and turn towards goal 11 Wirtz here has found space and can turn and run at the defence With Salah perhaps being best as a front facing threat who likes to get on the ball when facing the opposition goal, it is interesting that Liverpool are adding a player in Wirtz who is more creative with his positioning. Again, this signing will make planning for matches against Liverpool a very difficult experience for opposition coaches. Conclusion While the expected fee for Wirtz will be extremely high there is a sense that Liverpool will still be getting a bargain when they sign the 22-year-old German international. They will be signing a player who can extend the effective career of Salah straight away and when they do eventually move on from the Egyptian they will have their next attacking talisman in the building already.
Scottish Sun
4 hours ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
How Florian Wirtz will bring a new dimension to Liverpool and why the German star could be a £109million bargain
The signing of Wirtz, 22, could extend the career of one Liverpool icon WIRTZ THE MONEY How Florian Wirtz will bring a new dimension to Liverpool and why the German star could be a £109million bargain Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) LIVERPOOL are ready to spend a huge £109million on Bayer Leverkusen superstar Florian Wirtz. They moved quickly to try to acquire the services of the 22-year-old, who has snubbed German giants Bayern Munich to move to the Premier League champions. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 11 The Reds have bid £109m for the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Credit: GETTY 11 Florian Wirtz is said to be keen on joining Liverpool after a productive chat with Kop chief Arne Slot Credit: AP It will be a statement signing by Arne Slot after winning the title in his first season in charge at Anfield. The Reds have already made their first move in the summer market, by recruiting Jeremie Frimpong. The Bayer Leverkusen right-back, 24, makes the switch to Liverpool for £29.5m to replace outing Trent Alexander-Arnold who is joining Real Madrid. The moves come on the back of extra investment in the squad with the new deals completed for Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah. Wirtz is considered a generational talent in Germany. And he will bring a touch of the unpredictable to Liverpool's attack next season. Tactics expert Lee Scott believes the arrival of Wirtz will help prolong the career of one of their biggest stars. Goal threat Last season saw Wirtz contribute an impressive 16 goals and 15 assists in 45 games across all competitions for Bayer Leverkusen. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK His ability to create space for himself and to be decisive in the final third really stood out as key for Leverkusen as they attempted to retain their Bundesliga title. He is dangerous in 1v1 situations when picking up possession wide or in the inside channel, or even centrally. And when he is moving at pace he is a threat with his shooting from distance with the ability to generate power and accuracy. Positionally when he is in the attacking third he does not really stick to one area and instead likes to drift to find himself pockets of space. Jamie Carragher reveals why PSG's Luis Enrique is refusing to speak to him and CBS Sports before Champions League final 11 Wirtz had 10 goals in the Bundesliga last season Looking at the current Liverpool squad it is likely that Slot will want to use him from the left of the three-man attack with Salah on the right. This will effectively give Liverpool true gamebreakers on either side of the attacking three. In the example below, Wirtz takes possession with the opposition, who are leading, in a deep defensive block. The thing that makes Wirtz different to most young attackers as this defensive block is not a barrier for him. He takes the ball and drives through the centre of the defensive block before scoring from the edge of the area. 11 Wirtz receives the ball wide on the left wing but has the ability to drive to goal from an unlikely starting point 11 Wirtz drifts into space but prefers the left side Increasingly we have seen teams have to worry about the performances of Salah on the right-side for Liverpool. This means that teams tend to slide their defensive blocks slightly over to that side of the pitch. They want more protection against the Egyptian international and try to stop him going 1v1 against a single defender. Now, with Wirtz on the other side of the flank, opposition teams cannot overload their defence to either side. Next season Liverpool will have one of the most balanced and dangerous attacks in football. Wirtz is also very comfortable in the inside channels when receiving the ball. With rumours that Liverpool are also looking to add an attacking left back, they could be heavily reinforced on the left-side of the pitch to help to break down deep and stubborn defensive blocks. In this second example, Wirtz is holding the width and playing on the outside of the deepest opposition defender. As he receives the ball in these positions he generates real threat with his ability to drive inside and finish. 11 Wirtz is a genuine goal threat and is able to play on the wing or in the middle Adding a player of Wirtz's quality to their attacking options will increase the output from Liverpool in front of goal. But it will also make it far more difficult for opposition teams and coaches to figure out how to defend against them. Creativity in the final third As we have already mentioned above, Wirtz finished with an impressive 15 assists in all competitions for Bayer Leverkusen last season. While his goal output will be important for Liverpool in terms of adding direct threat to their attack, his creativity in and around the final third will also bring value for Slot's team. Wirtz takes intelligent positions on the pitch to receive the ball and often finds himself in a pocket of space. The fact that he is then a threat to turn and drive at teams through the centre of the pitch makes defenders less likely to want to get tight to defend against him aggressively as they run the risk of being quickly outplayed. The fact that they will then tend to sit off against him though just gives him the time and space to find passes to outplay the defensive line. 11 Wirtz has the ability to read the game, and here picks out the run of Garcia and pulls the ball back to the edge of the penalty area Wirtz doesn't always play the obvious pass. Here, he goes out wide and gets his head up and instead of firing across goal as many other players would he identifies that the better ball is a deep cut back to the edge of the area to the incoming Aleix Garcia, who then scores. One of the things that makes Wirtz such a dangerous player around the final third of the pitch is that he seems to be able to slow the game down and find time to get his head up to identify the best option. 11 Wirtz is one of the best passers in Europe He is rarely rushed, even when under pressure, and he has the technical ability to stay on the ball and then find the correct option at the correct time. Having a player who is a creative passer in their forward options will bring another dimension for Liverpool in their attack. While they have the likes of Cody Gakpo and Luiz Diaz as options for the left side of their attack, both are more direct players who lack the ability to slow the game down and play the killer pass. In the example below, Wirtz is in possession with a solid defensive block ahead of him. He sees the angle to bypass the entire opposition defence with a low driven through ball to release his striker in behind. 11 Wirtz hits the killer pass to put the striker clean through on goal Liverpool are obviously looking for ways to make themselves less predictable in the attack. Signing a player who is as creative and dangerous as Wirtz will go a long way to making that happen for them. Intelligence in the opposition half We touched on the fact that Wirtz is the kind of attacking player who is able to slow the game down when under pressure and in tight spaces. This is a mark of his game intelligence and the fact that he has the technical level to be able to trust himself and his touch when under pressure. He has an innate ability to be able to take the ball and make positive decisions with the ability to hurt the opposition defence. He can get on the ball and either drive forward into the heart of the penalty area or he can play on the half-turn and combine quickly or play the final pass to break through the opposition defensive line. In the example below, he gets on the ball in the No10 position and immediately drives forward into the heart of the opposition defensive block. 11 Wirtz makes a driving run into the Dortmund defence While this may not always lead to a shooting opportunity for himself it will pull defenders towards him and create space for teammates. He scans and checks his shoulder often in the final third and this means that he will find himself in space with time to receive the ball whether that is wide or in more central areas of the pitch. This will allow Liverpool to quickly progress the ball forward and into more dangerous areas of the pitch. This time we see Wirtz occupying intelligent spaces in the final third and between the lines. As he receives the ball he has no defenders in a position to immediately get touch-tight to him and he can take the ball and turn towards goal 11 Wirtz here has found space and can turn and run at the defence With Salah perhaps being best as a front facing threat who likes to get on the ball when facing the opposition goal, it is interesting that Liverpool are adding a player in Wirtz who is more creative with his positioning. Again, this signing will make planning for matches against Liverpool a very difficult experience for opposition coaches. Conclusion While the expected fee for Wirtz will be extremely high there is a sense that Liverpool will still be getting a bargain when they sign the 22-year-old German international. They will be signing a player who can extend the effective career of Salah straight away and when they do eventually move on from the Egyptian they will have their next attacking talisman in the building already.
The Sun
4 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
How Florian Wirtz will bring a new dimension to Liverpool and why the German star could be a £109million bargain
LIVERPOOL are ready to spend a huge £109million on Bayer Leverkusen superstar Florian Wirtz. They moved quickly to try to acquire the services of the 22-year-old, who has snubbed German giants Bayern Munich to move to the Premier League champions. 8 8 It will be a statement signing by Arne Slot after winning the title in his first season in charge at Anfield. The Reds have already made their first move in the summer market, by recruiting Jeremie Frimpong. The moves come on the back of extra investment in the squad with the new deals completed for Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah. Wirtz is considered a generational talent in Germany. And he will bring a touch of the unpredictable to Liverpool's attack next season. Tactics expert Lee Scott believes the arrival of Wirtz will help prolong the career of one of their biggest stars. Goal threat Last season saw Wirtz contribute an impressive 16 goals and 15 assists in 45 games across all competitions for Bayer Leverkusen. His ability to create space for himself and to be decisive in the final third really stood out as key for Leverkusen as they attempted to retain their Bundesliga title. He is dangerous in 1v1 situations when picking up possession wide or in the inside channel, or even centrally. And when he is moving at pace he is a threat with his shooting from distance with the ability to generate power and accuracy. Positionally when he is in the attacking third he does not really stick to one area and instead likes to drift to find himself pockets of space. Jamie Carragher reveals why PSG's Luis Enrique is refusing to speak to him and CBS Sports before Champions League final Looking at the current Liverpool squad it is likely that Slot will want to use him from the left of the three-man attack with Salah on the right. This will effectively give Liverpool true gamebreakers on either side of the attacking three. In the example below, Wirtz takes possession with the opposition, who are leading, in a deep defensive block. The thing that makes Wirtz different to most young attackers as this defensive block is not a barrier for him. He takes the ball and drives through the centre of the defensive block before scoring from the edge of the area. 8 Increasingly we have seen teams have to worry about the performances of Salah on the right-side for Liverpool. This means that teams tend to slide their defensive blocks slightly over to that side of the pitch. They want more protection against the Egyptian international and try to stop him going 1v1 against a single defender. Now, with Wirtz on the other side of the flank, opposition teams cannot overload their defence to either side. Next season Liverpool will have one of the most balanced and dangerous attacks in football. Wirtz is also very comfortable in the inside channels when receiving the ball. With rumours that Liverpool are also looking to add an attacking left back, they could be heavily reinforced on the left-side of the pitch to help to break down deep and stubborn defensive blocks. In this second example, Wirtz is holding the width and playing on the outside of the deepest opposition defender. As he receives the ball in these positions he generates real threat with his ability to drive inside and finish. 8 Adding a player of Wirtz's quality to their attacking options will increase the output from Liverpool in front of goal. But it will also make it far more difficult for opposition teams and coaches to figure out how to defend against them. Creativity in the final third As we have already mentioned above, Wirtz finished with an impressive 15 assists in all competitions for Bayer Leverkusen last season. While his goal output will be important for Liverpool in terms of adding direct threat to their attack, his creativity in and around the final third will also bring value for Slot's team. Wirtz takes intelligent positions on the pitch to receive the ball and often finds himself in a pocket of space. The fact that he is then a threat to turn and drive at teams through the centre of the pitch makes defenders less likely to want to get tight to defend against him aggressively as they run the risk of being quickly outplayed. The fact that they will then tend to sit off against him though just gives him the time and space to find passes to outplay the defensive line. 8 Wirtz doesn't always play the obvious pass. Here, he goes out wide and gets his head up and instead of firing across goal as many other players would he identifies that the better ball is a deep cut back to the edge of the area to the incoming Aleix Garcia, who then scores. One of the things that makes Wirtz such a dangerous player around the final third of the pitch is that he seems to be able to slow the game down and find time to get his head up to identify the best option. He is rarely rushed, even when under pressure, and he has the technical ability to stay on the ball and then find the correct option at the correct time. Having a player who is a creative passer in their forward options will bring another dimension for Liverpool in their attack. While they have the likes of Cody Gakpo and Luiz Diaz as options for the left side of their attack, both are more direct players who lack the ability to slow the game down and play the killer pass. In the example below, Wirtz is in possession with a solid defensive block ahead of him. He sees the angle to bypass the entire opposition defence with a low driven through ball to release his striker in behind. 8 Liverpool are obviously looking for ways to make themselves less predictable in the attack. Signing a player who is as creative and dangerous as Wirtz will go a long way to making that happen for them. Intelligence in the opposition half We touched on the fact that Wirtz is the kind of attacking player who is able to slow the game down when under pressure and in tight spaces. This is a mark of his game intelligence and the fact that he has the technical level to be able to trust himself and his touch when under pressure. He has an innate ability to be able to take the ball and make positive decisions with the ability to hurt the opposition defence. He can get on the ball and either drive forward into the heart of the penalty area or he can play on the half-turn and combine quickly or play the final pass to break through the opposition defensive line. In the example below, he gets on the ball in the No10 position and immediately drives forward into the heart of the opposition defensive block. 8 While this may not always lead to a shooting opportunity for himself it will pull defenders towards him and create space for teammates. He scans and checks his shoulder often in the final third and this means that he will find himself in space with time to receive the ball whether that is wide or in more central areas of the pitch. This will allow Liverpool to quickly progress the ball forward and into more dangerous areas of the pitch. This time we see Wirtz occupying intelligent spaces in the final third and between the lines. As he receives the ball he has no defenders in a position to immediately get touch-tight to him and he can take the ball and turn towards goal 8 With Salah perhaps being best as a front facing threat who likes to get on the ball when facing the opposition goal, it is interesting that Liverpool are adding a player in Wirtz who is more creative with his positioning. Again, this signing will make planning for matches against Liverpool a very difficult experience for opposition coaches. Conclusion While the expected fee for Wirtz will be extremely high there is a sense that Liverpool will still be getting a bargain when they sign the 22-year-old German international. They will be signing a player who can extend the effective career of Salah straight away and when they do eventually move on from the Egyptian they will have their next attacking talisman in the building already.
The Sun
7 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
Promise that Arne Slot made to Florian Wirtz that Bayern couldn't match was ‘decisive factor' in star picking Liverpool
FLORIAN WIRTZ reportedly chose Liverpool over Bayern Munich after being given an irresistible promise by Arne Slot. The highly-rated German star was courted by both clubs but in the end the guarantee of the No10 role tipped the scales in the Reds' favour. 4 4 4 According to Caughtoffside, Wirtz revealed that the decision was ultimately made after Slot assured him he would be THE playmaker in his Liverpool team. While Bayern offered him the prospect of competing in their world-class side, the path to regular first-team football was far from clear. Jamal Musiala's rapid rise at the Allianz Arena and the presence of more established players such as Joshua Kimmich meant that Wirtz would have had to fight for his place in the midfield. But at Liverpool, it is a different story - he would be the main man at Anfield. The creative hub of the team, controlling the game from midfield and leading Liverpool's attack. Slot promised Wirtz full control of the No10 role, a position that would be his alone. This clear-cut offer of a starring role was a far cry from the uncertainty Bayern offered. In the end Wirtz made his choice opting for the chance to be Liverpool's attacking leader. The fact that Liverpool have won the Premier League in Slot's first season is also contributing factor as it has highlighted the manager's ability to bring the best out of young players. The Dutch manager has been able to get the best out of both old and new faces with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk enjoying stellar campaign as well as Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo Thousands of people line streets for Liverpool's Premier League title parade as iconic DJ drafted in as special guest How close are Liverpool to a deal? The Premier League champions have submitted a second improved bid for the Germany midfielder. Liverpool's latest offer for the 22-year-old is about £109m, including add-ons. Wirtz is a key target for the Merseyside club and has made his wishes clear about wanting to join Liverpool before next season. 4
