Florian Wirtz will remain at Bayer Leverkusen for one more year as things currently stand, according to the player’s father and agent, Hans-Joachim Wirtz.

Beyond that point, an exit away from the Bundesliga outfit is understood to be ‘definitely planned’ for 2025.

Florian Plettenberg relayed the comments in question on X (formerly Twitter), additionally noting that the player would then ‘prefer’ a transfer to admirers Bayern Munich.

Hans-Joachim #Wirtz, father and agent of Florian Wirtz excl. at Sky:

„Currently, everything is geared towards Florian continuing to play in Leverkusen next season.“

As reported: Wirtz is likely to stay in Leverkusen next season. A transfer is definitely planned in 2025.

… pic.twitter.com/NxYPRTeIaL

— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) December 4, 2023

Whether the Bavarians can succeed in their ambitions of landing one of the most talented midfielders in Europe remains to be seen amid reported interest from Liverpool [TeamTalk].

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Could/should Liverpool intervene?

With a contract not set to expire until 2025, you can absolutely expect Wirtz’s eventual asking price to be astronomical.

According to our sister site CaughtOffside back in November: “Our sources do not expect Wirtz to leave Bayer Leverkusen until at least next summer. The Germans are also open to a sale and are hopeful a summer bidding war will see their eye-watering £105 million (€120 million) asking price met.”

The fee would appear to be justified to a certain degree, given that the 20-year-old is already on a whopping 16 goal contributions in 19 games.

Statistically, the player stacks up well against the best in Europe’s top five leagues, registering in the 97th percentile, for instance, in shot-creating actions, according to FBref.

If Wirtz can maintain that form going into the rest of the season and, perhaps, the next – he’s going to be unaffordable for a considerable number of potential suitors.

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Liverpool’s recruitment team always have their eye on the market, in the hope of securing some top talent and it seems that one target has made a Premier League decision.

Writing for Caught Offside, Christian Falk reported: ‘Florian Wirtz is currently the hottest stock on the German market… Leverkusen doesn’t want to sell him for less than €100m-€120m…

‘The player would like to take the next step in the Bundesliga. This means for the Premier League clubs that he is probably not ready for them yet.’

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It seems though that, despite Fabrizio Romano stating: ‘Liverpool keep following the situation’, we may be wasting our time a little.

Florian Wirtz has six goals so far this season, in a Bayer Leverkusen side that has taken the Bundesliga by storm under the stewardship of Xabi Alonso.

The ex-Red has deployed the German international in attacking positions for the 18 matches he’s played in this campaign to date, in all competitions.

READ MORE: (Video) Klopp delighted with return of injured player; ‘looks super in training’

Recording 10 assists too shows that the 20-year-old has been an integral part in all that has been good with the attacking side of the team that’s based in North Rhine-Westphalia.

We may see Bayern Munich then make the move for the former Koln youth star and we will then be forced to watch from afar, at a player that may put his name in lights in the coming years.

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Liverpool are right in the thick of it for Florian Wirtz’s signature should the attacking midfielder depart the club ‘at the latest’ in 2025.

Florian Plettenberg confirmed the news on X (formerly Twitter), with the Merseysiders facing competition from Real Madrid, Manchester City, Manchester United and Bayern Munich.

The Bavarians, however, are understood to have the upper hand if they can afford the financial commitment.

More on Florian #Wirtz: Bayer 04 hopes that he will stay for one more season. Bosses are convinced that he will definitely leave the club, at the latest, in the summer of 2025.

All big clubs are in (Real, ManCity, Liverpool, ManUtd…)
If they can really afford the … pic.twitter.com/qRGjvVaYvP

— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) November 29, 2023

Able to play across both flanks, though mainly operating in the middle of the park, Wirtz would be quite the versatile option for any interested party.

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A player destined for the very top

The German international has been in sensational form across all competitions, registering 16 goal contributions in 18 games this term.

To put into context just how rapid the 20-year-old’s improvement in top-flight football has been, you only need to glance at his numbers in 2022/23 – only 12 goal contributions in 25 games.

Wirtz is evidently a more than confident dribbler already, ranking in the 95th percentile for successful take-ons, according to FBref, whilst also possessing a sharp creative edge (94th percentile for shot-creating actions).

Make no mistake, if we have the money to seriously throw our hat into the ring, it’s a player we’d be wise to keep an eye on for the next season or so.

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Fabrizio Romano has shared his latest information on Liverpool-linked midfielder Florian Wirtz.

The Reds are among several top clubs from around Europe who are believed to be tracking the 20-year-old, for whom Bayer Leverkusen are set to demand at least €100m (£87.2m), according to TEAMtalk.

Manchester City are also believed to be eyeing a possible move for the youngster (90min), but the Italian transfer reporter expects the Germany international’s plethora of suitors to be disappointed in the short-term.

In his latest Daily Briefing for CaughtOffside, Romano wrote: “Contrary to other reports, I’m told there’s still no asking price and nothing decided on Wirtz. He’s very focused on Leverkusen, they are flying now and nothing is happening.

“I don’t see them selling Florian in January, he’s a key player for Xabi Alonso, so my expectation is for Wirtz to stay at the club in January.”

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Wirtz has been one of the main inspirations behind Leverkusen’s rise to the summit of the Bundesliga, with six goals and nine assists in 16 games across all competitions already this season (Transfermarkt).

While predominantly featuring in the number 10 role, he’s also capable of playing slightly deeper, as well as anywhere across the forward line (Transfermarkt), so he’d present Jurgen Klopp with plenty of scope in terms of how best to integrate him within Liverpool’s line-up.

In a similar vein to Dominik Szoboszlai, the 20-year-old particularly excels in terms of his dribbling ability, averaging 3.61 successful take-ons per 90 minutes over the past year, placing him among the top 3% of positional peers in Europe’s five main leagues (FBref).

There’s a case to be made for the Reds having a greater need to strengthen in other areas of the squad in January, but such is Wirtz’s promise that he can’t be totally ignored as a transfer target in 2024.

It does seem as if the Leverkusen gem will stay put until next summer at least, but we can probably expect to hear his name mentioned heavily in Liverpool transfer dispatches in the meantime, especially if he can continue playing a key role in Xabi Alonso’s side remaining top of the Bundesliga.

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The post ‘I’m told…’ – Romano drops update on Liverpool-linked £87m wizard who Man City also crave appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Fabrizio Romano recently reported that Liverpool are ‘one to watch’ regarding the race for Bayer Leverkusen teenager Florian Wirtz and with Xabi Alonso currently in charge of the Bundesliga outfit, the ex-Red could convince the attacking midfielder to head to Merseyside, that’s according to Liverpool World.

The German international, who is also attracting interest from La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid, has two goals and six in 13 appearances assists this season (across all competitions) having only returned from a serious knee injury back in December.

It’s no secret that Jurgen Klopp is wanting to strengthen his midfield options come the summer and although it’s more of a traditional number eight that the club are looking for (for example, Jude Bellingham), the creativity that Wirtz would bring to the Reds will certainly excite our German tactician.

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It’s believed that Leverkusen are not willing to let one of their most exciting talents leave in the summer with a departure more likely at the end of next season, but if they receive the right offer then they may find it hard to say no.

Transfermarkt currently value the Pulheim-born star at £62m but with him only signing a new deal until 2027 last summer, the German outfit can demand a higher fee and are very much in control.

You’d be right to suggest that Alonso could also encourage the teenager to join Madrid, another club that the Spaniard played for during his illustrious career, but we certainly believe Anfield would be a great place for him to head to with Klopp no stranger to handing opportunities to youngsters.

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The post Liverpool interested in 19-year-old Bundesliga talent; Xabi Alonso could play a huge role in the transfer – report appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Fabrizio Romano has said that ‘Liverpool is one to watch’ in relation to the prospective next destination of Florian Wirtz.

The Bayer Leverkusen midfielder is also of interest to LaLiga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid, according to the Italian, who added that Jurgen Klopp is ‘said to be a big fan’ of the 19-year-old.

However, the journalist has tempered the probability of the teenager leaving the Bundesliga club during the summer.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano said: “Florian Wirtz, what I can tell you is Barcelona are following the player, for sure. Also Real Madrid.

“But I am told also English clubs are keeping an eye on Wirtz, especially the situation of Liverpool is one to watch. Liverpool are monitoring the player and I am told that Jurgen Klopp is understood to be a big fan of Florian Wirtz.

“I say monitoring and not negotiating, because the expectation around Wirtz and Bayer Leverkusen is for the player to stay one more year and maybe move in 2024.”

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The 19-year-old is by no means a brand-new entry to the Liverpool rumour mill, with ex-Germany international Karl-Heinz Korbel saying back in January 2022 that the teenager would be ‘a good fit’ at Anfield (as per Sport.de).

The Reds might be able to put their connections with Wirtz’s current manager Xabi Alonso to good use, although the 41-year-old also has ties to another suitor in Real Madrid.

The attacking midfielder has already played 91 times for Leverkusen’s first team despite his tender age (Transfermarkt), and he’d surely be a centurion by now had it not been for a cruciate ligament injury which sidelined him for the majority of 2022.

He could be exactly the kind of dynamic presence to reinvigorate Liverpool’s midfield, with 49 goal contributions already for his club (Transfermarkt), while he ranks among the top 1% of players in his position for assists among Europe’s five main leagues in the past year (as per FBref).

Wirtz is clearly a man in demand judging by Romano’s update, and with him likely to remain in Germany for at least another year, he could be bumped down the list of priorities at Anfield as Klopp and FSG focus instead on targets who’d be more attainable for this summer.

Nonetheless, he could be someone worth keeping tabs on in the longer-term as a potential contributor to a likely midfield overhaul on Merseyside.

You can see the journalist’s update on Wirtz below from 2:15 (via Fabrizio Romano on YouTube):

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The post ‘I am told’ – Romano drops intriguing claim on Liverpool target; Klopp’s supposedly ‘a big fan’ appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

With a cruciate ligament rupture having so far ruled Florian Wirtz out of the 2022/23 season, some may have already forgotten about the 19-year-old’s ludicrous talent amid the performances on offer from the likes of Jude Bellingham and Jamal Musiala domestically and abroad.

Should Liverpool be unable to sign either of the latter two midfielders, however, Ronan Murphy has suggested that the former teenager should be right at the top of their list in terms of Bundesliga-based transfer targets.

“After Bellingham, and excluding Jamal Musiala who it would be impossible to sign, Florian Wirtz is the brightest talent in the Bundesliga,” the journalist told Anfield Index. “He’s been injured and hasn’t featured for Bayer Leverkusen recently, but he has already had a greater impact than Kai Havertz at the club, and would be a brilliant signing for any club.”

It’s hard to disagree with the view when considering the player registered a remarkable 24 goal contributions in 31 games from the middle of the park last term.

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A consistent complaint about our midfield is that it’s all (or, rather, mostly) industry and no goals – a feature that Wirtz would surely help change were we to seriously pursue his signature in the near future.

The young German is set to return to full team training in early December (according to the Bundesliga’s official website), which will give us ample time to analyse his performances ahead of the winter window.

With a contract not set to expire until 2027, however, we can safely expect Xabi Alonso’s outfit to slap a mega price-tag on the youngster’s back, as is their right.

Much like Manu Kone, however, as Murphy rightly pointed out: Wirtz’s asking price will likely soar even higher, potentially far beyond our means, if we don’t look to snap him up soon.

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The post Liverpool told to sign ‘brilliant’ 19-year-old Bundesliga midfielder if not Bellingham or Musiala appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Liverpool’s scouting network has been phenomenal at selecting the right talent for many years and they apparently have been ‘watching’ a new player.

According to the Express (via BBC Sport): ‘Scouts from Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle have been watching Bayer Leverkusen’s 18-year-old midfielder Florian Wirtz, but he has suffered a serious knee injury that will keep him out for the rest of the season’.

It’s safe to assume our scouts won’t be watching him again this season, given the serious injury, but the name of Florian Wirtz is now certainly one to look out for in the next campaign.

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There’s always difficulty on knowing how much you can believe any rumour that crops up but the ability to be able to see a story that doesn’t include Mo Salah’s possible departure or contract signing, is always refreshing.

The 18-year-old tore his ACL against Koln and this will be a huge disruption to his fledgling career, we all know from first-hand experience of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez that knee injuries are not ones that quickly recover.

With the German recording 7 goals and 10 assists from just 24 games this season, let’s hope he makes a quick recovery and maybe we’ll see him at Anfield one day.

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The post Liverpool scouts ‘watching’ German 18-year-old Bundesliga midfielder appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Florian Wirtz has been linked with a host of Premier League giants, including Liverpool, by Bild journalist, Christian Falk.

At 18-years-old, the midfielder has already demonstrated huge potential in his last two seasons with Bayer Leverkusen, registering 11 goal contributions in 29 Bundesliga games last year – a feat he is close to matching (eight) after only five league games this term.

READ MORE: Liverpool are ‘interested’ in teenage Bundesliga sensation with remarkable stats – Christian Falk

As can be observed from the series of highlights compiled below, the teenager possesses some remarkable ball control and quick feet, which regularly enable him to drift out of danger.

Backed up by his statistical contributions, the starlet is an important cog with regard to Leverkusen’s forward play, being able to combine impressively with the German outfit’s frontline to create chances and score goals.

You can catch the clip below, courtesy of Young Talents’ Youtube channel:

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The post (Video) Florian Wirtz’s highlights suggest that Liverpool should be actively pursuing young gem appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Liverpool are reportedly ‘interested’ in Bayer Leverkusen prodigy Florian Wirtz.

This comes from renowned Bundesliga journalist Christian Falk who released the update on the young German via Twitter this morning.

TRUE @ManCity scoute Florian Witz (18) intensely. Also @ChelseaFC @LFC @ManUtd and @Arsenal are interested. But: @FCBayern is leading the race for a Transfer in 2023 @BILD_Sport @ValentinaMaceri pic.twitter.com/kk7pbp2H0j

— Christian Falk (@cfbayern) September 29, 2021

The Reds will face competition from a host of Premier League outfits, including title rivals Manchester City and Chelsea, though the reporter has warned that Bundesliga heavyweight, Bayern Munich, is currently ‘leading the race’ for the player’s signature.

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With nine goal contributions across all competitions this season, it’s not difficult to see why some of Europe’s largest clubs have been paying close attention to the free-scoring teenager.

Considering the age profile of what is perceived to be our strongest midfield trio – Jordan Henderson (31), Thiago Alcantara (30) and Fabinho (27) – we at the Empire of the Kop would expect to see some due consideration given to the future of the club.

There are, of course, emerging talents who have impressed in such a role, with Harvey Elliott producing a number of mature performances prior to his long-term injury and 20-year-old Curtis Jones likewise having previously proved his credentials.

Nonetheless, we certainly wouldn’t be opposed to the recruitment team working to bring another gifted prodigy into the fold in the form of Wirtz given his impressive numbers.

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The post Liverpool are ‘interested’ in teenage Bundesliga sensation with remarkable stats – Christian Falk appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Florian Wirtz has been suggested as a potential target for Liverpool in the upcoming summer window.

This comes from Josh Williams on the Analysing Anfield podcast (via the Echo), who compared the newly turned 18-year-old to Chelsea star, and former reported Reds target, Kai Havertz.

“He turned 18 just a few days ago, so he is as young as they come,” the journalist said.

“But despite that, he has already accumulated over 2000 minutes in the Bundesliga, so in terms of establishing himself, he is right up there.

“He is extremely versatile and he plays all over the pitch, to the extent that he doesn’t have a position, and was called up by the Germany senior team in March, but did not get any minutes.

“But the fact he was getting called up anyway to the senior side at 17 captures his potential.

“He can play on the wing, as a centre-forward and as a central midfielder so he is a bit like Havertz.

“He is not as good as Havertz, but he reminds me of Havertz in that regard, who was at Leverkusen himself and was playing everywhere.”

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Should the starlet, valued at €45m (according to Transfermarkt) bear any resemblance to the potential of the aforementioned Stamford Bridge midfielder, the recommendation may very well be one worth taking.

Considering how the goals have dried up in the midfield this term, not to mention the all but guaranteed departure of one of our most consistent midfield performers in Gini Wijnaldum, securing a quality new central midfielder must be considered an absolute priority.

It will be an extremely tough challenge for the recruitment department, as Jurgen Klopp will no doubt wish to bring in as robust a player as the Dutchman, ideally with technical excellence who is also difficult to knock off the ball.

It’s a near-impossible ask to find someone who possesses all three attributes but we’ve no doubt we could at least find one promising starlet who could grow into the role.

How did Liverpool not secure David Alaba with their offer?

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